Give Me Novocaine: Spring Break
by bknbu
Summary: Stand-alone alternate version to "Madness". What if "Taken" never happened? What if Keith and the others didn't know that Dylan MacKenzie and Princess Allura were one and the same? With Genevieve McClain by her side, Allura takes the Galaxy Alliance Academy by storm...and has a certain commander pulling his hair out in the process. (Please read Author's Notes in Ch 1!) K/A
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: I wrote Spring Break (GMN) a year and a half ago. It was originally the opening book to my series; however, half way through I had a strong case of writers block. I put SB aside and began writing its prequel..."Taken". well..."Taken" took my story in a whole other direction so I re-wrote SB and turned it into "Madness: Spring Break" I didn't want to let the original go as I found it to be a fun story so I decided to publish it as a stand-alone alternate version. I am posting the first 3 chapters in one shot due to the similarity in dialogue with"Madness"-Chapter 1, especially, has almost identical dialogue...however, things change -dialogue aside. This story will take a life of its own. It does not take the events of "Taken" into account nor will it fit in with the rest of the series...this one is all about being young and having fun. I recommend reading Chapter 1 even if you are following Madness...although the dialogue is similar...things take a different turn... _

_GMN:SB is being edited by the fabulous KathDMD...so expect lots of fashion and fabulous down the line :-) I hope you all have as much fun reading as I have had writing...stick around...it will be worth it!_

_Discaimer: I do not own/profit from Voltron or its characters...OCs are mine_

* * *

**_Give Me Novocaine: Spring Break_**

**_Chapter 1_**

* * *

"_Take away the sensation inside_

_Bittersweet migraine in my head_

_It's like a throbbing __**toothache **__of the mind_

_I can't take this feeling anymore_

_Drain the pressure from the swelling_

_This sensation's overwhelming_

_Give me a long kiss goodnight_

_And everything will be alright_

_Tell me that I won't feel a thing_

_Give me novacaine"_

_- Green Day, "Give Me Novacaine"_

* * *

"I don't know…are you _sure _about this?"

"Yes, Lance, I'm sure. This is _exactly _what the Princess needs: a break."

"And _how _is training at the Academy considered a break, exactly?"

"Um, you _do _remember attending the Academy with us, don't you?"

Lance wrinkled his brow in thought for a moment, and then a sinister grin came over his face. "OK, point taken…on second thought, is that really what you want the Princess exposed, to Mr. Almighty Protector?"

"Oh, come on, Lance, the Princess doesn't have your sick mind." Keith sat back in his chair in the Control Room, lacing his hands behind his head.

"Keith's right - on both counts," Coran interjected, glaring at Lance as he entered Castle Control. "The Princess always talks about how much she wishes that she could have attended the Academy, as well as wanting to do all the things that a 'normal' young woman her age would do." He paused, stroking his mustache in silence. "After the last attack, our sources say that Lotor and Doom will be out of commission for a while, so this is the perfect opportunity for her to go. Granted, this is just the spring program; however, she will be able to socialize with women her own age while perfecting her military skills and strategy."

Lance crossed his arms over his chest. Leaning back against the console, he mumbled to Keith, "Yeah, socializing, that's what she'll be doing...just having high tea with the Academy girls."

Keith, in turn, shot him a dirty look. "Shut up, Lance," he hissed under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Coran asked pointedly, not having heard either one of them well enough, but knowing that the verbal exchange couldn't have been good.

Keith sat up straighter. "Nothing, Coran. Lance is just being...well, _Lance_ He glanced over at his friend in warning, which only caused Lance to roll his eyes. "Anyway, all the paperwork seems to be in order. I have confirmed everything with Admiral Graham and, as long as the Princess is on board, all is a go for her departure the day after tomorrow."

"Sounds good, Commander. When will you inform her?"

"I'll go find her right now."

"Very well. I will see you boys at dinner. If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

As soon as Coran was out of sight, Lance turned to Keith. "So, _Mon Capitan_, where is she going to be staying? On base or off campus?"

Keith cleared his throat. "Actually, Lance, she's going to be rooming with Geni in an apartment I found them off campus." He quickly stood up and began his trek out of Castle Control, bracing himself for Lance's predictable reaction.

"Geni..._Geni? _You mean _Geni_? As in Genevieve McClain, _my _little sister, Geni?" Lance questioned as he followed Keith out the door.

Keith cringed. "Yes."

And so began the uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Once Lance had finally calmed himself, he looked up at Keith and remarked, "Yeah, high tea, I'm sure that's what she'll be doing with _my_ sister. Nothing to worry about...I'm damn near positive they won't get into _any _trouble whatsoever...good clean fun for sure!"

"_Lance!"_

"Oh, come on, Keith! You grew up in my house! You know my sister - she's worse than me, and that's _really _saying something!"

Keith stopped to whip his head around and look at him. "No, Lance, I don't think that anyone could possibly be worse than you." He then turned and continued walking. "Besides, I think the Princess will be a good influence on her."

Lance snorted out a laugh. "_Or_ Geni will be a bad influence on Allura." He paused in thought, then smiled wickedly. "Damn! Can I go too? This is gonna be too good to miss!"

Keith stopped again, and glared at him. "Shut up, Lance! Go on, get lost before I find something to help occupy your time. Something like latrine duty, only ten times worse."

"Oh, come on, don't be such a sore ass. You know you'd love to see it too," Lance retorted, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

"_Now_, Lance!"

"Fine, geesh…_someone _needs to get laid," the lieutenant muttered as he darted off.

"I heard that!" Keith shouted behind him.

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair, trying to mentally prepare himself for the conversation to come. He knew very well that Allura was still upset with him over his decision to 'ignore their feelings,' as she put it. After her last kidnapping and subsequent rescue, things had considerably changed between them.

Once he realized just how close Lotor had gotten to having his way with her, Keith, completely overcome by the moment, admitted that he was in love with her; a sentiment which she eagerly reciprocated. Despite the intensity of the moment and the emotions that they expressed, the ever-present _Commander Mode _- as it was often referred to - kicked in shortly after their arrival on Arus. He'd then told Allura that they would have to hide their feelings and that they couldn't be together, at least not now. Having their love out in the open would only serve to make them even greater targets than they already were. This was not their time. They needed to remain 'friends' and not act on their emotions.

It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

He was hoping that this surprise would ease some of the tension between them. As intelligent and mature as the princess was in matters of State, diplomacy, and intergalactic relations, that was how _im_mature she was when it came to certain unfamiliar emotions, especially where the Commander was involved. After all, she had been alone for many years before the boys arrived, and rarely had any interaction with people her own age before that. It didn't help that her close friendship with Lance only served to enhance her stubborn side, as he often found amusement in fueling her already-roaring flames. To say that Allura was still quite angry with him would be an understatement, and she made a point to let Keith know it every chance she got.

Lately, when she dealt with 'her boys,' the propriety and tact associated with her station went out the window. She was sick and tired of having Lotor dictate their lives, and even sicker of Keith always trying to do the 'right thing.' _How can he just turn his emotions off like a frickin__'__ switch? Bullshit I say!_

It was with that thought in her mind that Keith approached her on the observation deck.

"Good evening, Princess. Do you have a moment? There is something I would like to discuss with you," he began, his voice even and cordial.

_Good. Evening. Princess__.__What__? Is he for real with this formal crap? _"Seriously, Keith? Formalities? _Really?" _she huffed.

"Princess, please, don't make this -"

"Whatever, Keith." She whipped around to face him, her eyes full of anger. "What? What is it you want to discuss, _Commander_?" Her voice was both sarcastic and bitter.

Keith grimaced slightly, and handed her the orders from the Space Academy of the Galaxy Alliance. "This."

She took the paper and began to study it. The anger left her eyes as they widened with excitement. She looked up to him, smiling brightly. "Is this for real?"

"Yes, yes it is - as long as you agree to it, of course," he replied, shooting her a sly grin.

Allura was ecstatic. She was screeching with joy as she jumped up and enthusiastically threw her arms around him. "This is _incredible_!" she yelped.

Her excitement was knocked down a few notches when she noticed Keith's discomfort at her embrace. _Leave it to Keith to kill the moment__..._

She pushed herself away and took a good, long look at him. "I just don't get you, Keith. How can you shut yourself down and go on pretending that nothing happened?" she asked, her temper slowly starting to rise again.

Keith closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Princess, I've already explained this to you…my focus needs to be on your safety and the protection of Arus. I cannot afford to be distracted, as it could mean the difference between life and death, and -"

She interrupted, her anger continuing to build. " So what? Did you just flip a switch and stop being in love with me, or did you just lie when you told me that you were?"

Now it was Keith's turn to interrupt her tirade. _"No! _I wasn't lying, and you know it! Damn it, Allura! Why are you trying to make this more difficult than it already is?"

"Because I need to understand! I need to understand how you can just push aside what we feel for each other as if it doesn't matter!" He didn't miss the pleading tone in her voice.

_I can't__,_ he thought. Keith took yet another deep breath to calm himself as he grabbed Allura's shoulders to turn her to face him. "Allura, please, try and understand. It's one thing to know that we love each other, and another thing to deepen that bond by beginning a relationship. I cannot do that right now. I cannot be there for you in that capacity right now. I need to remain focused and keep my mind clear, and I will not be able to do that if we take the next step."

She looked at him scornfully, obviously not the least bit convinced.

He sighed once more. "You know what Lotor is capable of, Allura. Please think. You know I'm right. You know what would happen if he realized just how much we love each other." He shrugged. "My God, all he does is suspect that we have a weakness for each other now, and you see how he uses it against us; can you imagine what would happen if he knew how deep it really went?"

She looked away from him, trying to hide the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Allie, please, look at me."

_Allie…I love it when he calls me Allie, damn him!_ She raised her eyes to meet his.

"I love you, Allie, with all my heart. That will never change. But for now, we have to put our feelings aside, and put your safety and the safety of Arus first," he whispered. "You know I'm right."

She sighed. "No, actually, I'm sure you're _not_ right," she replied, causing Keith to close his eyes and bow his head in frustration.

Seeing this, Allura reached up her hand and caressed his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I understand what you're saying and where you're coming from - but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it."

He smiled and pulled her into his arms, holding onto her with every fiber of his being. "Soon, Allie, our time will come. I promise." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "In the meantime, I want you to go to Earth - Terra, whatever you want to call it - and have fun. Just watch out for Geni. She's just as bad as Lance. Maybe worse."

Allura giggled as she pulled away. She looked up to him and smiled. "Oh, I'm sure I can handle her. I've handled Lance for the last two and a half years, haven't I?"

"This is true. And God knows he is _exhausting_!" he grinned. "So, are we good?"

With a sigh, she replied, "Yes, we're good." She then raised an eyebrow and added, "For now, anyway," as she walked passed him and out the door.

Keith took a breath, rolled his eyes, and followed her out.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura spent the next day with Coran and Keith briefing her on what to expect while she attended the Space Academy program.

She would be there for almost three months, during which she would be engaging in combat flight training, hand-to-hand martial arts, and military strategy. Although she would have plenty of time to socialize and have fun, she needed to take this training seriously, as she would be awarded a Garrison ranking based on her performance and test scores in the final competition at the end of the session.

This opportunity meant the world to Allura. Not only would she be able to live a "normal" life for the next few months, but it was also her chance to prove, once and for all, that she was just as good, if not better, than some of her teammates. She longed to be taken seriously and this was her chance to see that happen.

She couldn't wait to finally meet Lance's sister face-to-face. The boys did not realize just how close Geni and Allura had become. Lance had put the Princess in touch with his sister so that she could have a female her own age to communicate with. Over the last two years, they had talked and e-mailed at least two to three times a week, but this would be the first time they would meet in person. If anyone could help the Princess fit in, it would definitely be Genevieve McClain.

She was even more excited to find out that the Explorer had docked for routine maintenance and that Jeff, Cliff, Lisa, and Ginger, as well as the rest of the Vehicle Team members, would be in town as well. She hadn't seen them since their last battle, and it would be nice to spend time with them under better circumstances. Yes, this trip would be good for her, she was sure of it.

The next morning, the Princess headed into the control room eager to start her new adventure. Her ship was ready and waiting.

"Alright, now, you will have two free days when you get there before you have to check in with Admiral Graham. I'm sure that Geni has plans for the two of you already," Keith informed her in his usual assuring tone

"Yeah, I bet she does..." Lance began before Keith elbowed him in the ribs.

After throwing his Commander a dirty look, he continued, "You'll have a blast, Allura. Geni knows how to have a good time, and unlike her excruciatingly handsome big brother - that would be me, of course - she knows when it's time to get serious. She'll help you fit right in." Lance shot her his signature smirk.

"Lance, your sister and I have spoken many times over the last few years, and I am sure that we will be fine. I have complete faith in her, and besides, there is only so much a Princess can get away with. You know, protocol and all." She rolled her eyes. "It's not like people don't know who I am. I will never be able to just act 'normal,' no matter where I go."

"Aw, of course you will, Princess, you'll see! Besides, Jeff and the others will always treat you like you're part of the team, you know that," Pidge offered, trying to reassure her. "And you've always got my brother Chip to fall back on, too!"

Allura smiled at the sentiment. Pidge was like the little brother she never had, and he always tried to make her smile. "I know that, Pidge. Believe me, I am very excited about this. It's been a long time coming." Noticing her advisor enter the room, she moved towards him. "Speaking of which, I believe that it's time I head out. Coran, anything else?"

"No, Princess. I believe that we have covered everything. Just take advantage of this opportunity, as we never know when you will have this chance again - and for the love of the gods, _please _be careful and contact us on schedule." Coran was terribly nervous, though he tried not to show it, and he hugged the young woman who had become his surrogate daughter.

"I will, Coran." She returned his hug. "Please don't worry. _You_ know I can take care of myself - and thank you so much for allowing me to do this. It truly means the universe to me."

"Dearest, I only want your happiness. Enjoy yourself and show those fly-boys what the Princess of Arus is made of," he told her with a smile and a wink.

Allura giggled. "You can count on it. I have every intention of putting quite a dent into the long standing Academy rankings." She turned to her teammates, sporting a wicked grin on her face.

Lance attempted to respond, but was interrupted when Nanny threw her arms around the Princess. "Oh, please be careful, my Princess!" she sobbed. "Those Alliance boys are not to be trusted! You know they only have one thing on…"

"_Nanny!" _Allura yelled. "Relax. I can assure you that I can handle the Alliance boys just fine. Now, I will be back before you know it. Please try and remain calm while I am gone, for me if nothing else."

Nanny looked at her charge nervously, frustration and skepticism dancing in her eyes. She breathed in and, finally, sighed - loudly - "I…well…I...ugh, _fine_."

She reached up and lovingly cupped Allura's face between her hands. "I trust you, my child. Go on, have fun." She dropped her hands from the Princess' face. "Just don't come back looking like one of those harlots!"

"Nanny!" Allura shot her a look.

"Don't worry, Nanny. If the Princess gets any tattoos, I'm sure they will be in places that you would never dream of looking," Lance managed to say before being backhanded upside the head by both Keith and Hunk.

Nanny threw him a dirty look, gave the Princess a final hug, and stomped out of the room. One would swear that steam was actually coming out of her ears.

Coran glanced over at Lance. "Was that _really _necessary, Lieutenant Commander?"

"Aw, come on, it was funny," Lance replied, leaning toward the Princess and whispering in her ear. "I can let you know a few good places if you're interested. Just say the word." His wink caused Allura to blush.

With that, he laughed and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Lura-Lu...I'll miss you, girl." He released her and shot her a devilish look. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Allura laughed whole-heartedly, then proceeded to exchange good-byes with Hunk and Pidge before finally stopping at Keith.

"Princess, if you need anything, just ask the Admiral. He is like a father to me, and will do anything to help you - within reason, of course," he told her with a crooked smirk.

"I will, Keith, thank you."

He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her once more. "I want you to have fun, Allura. This is probably as close as you are ever going to get to normalcy. Lance and I will come and get you when the training is over."

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?"

"Of course! We want to be there when they announce your Garrison rank and to support you during the ceremony. We wouldn't miss it!"

With that, she wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the gesture, embracing her as tightly as he could, part of him afraid to let her go. This would be the first time in two and a half years that Keith would not be near her for such an extended period of time, ready to protect her if need be. He wanted this for her; however, the thought of not being there for her terrified him just as much.

Of course, he would never admit that to anyone.

They stood there in each other's arms for a few moments until Keith finally broke the hold. "You'd better get going. They're waiting for you." He placed a light kiss on her forehead.

Allura looked up into his warm chocolate eyes. "Keith, thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it, Princess. Now go, and make us proud!" He flashed her that devastatingly handsome smile of his.

"You can count on it, Captain," she winked.

With that, she turned and made her way up the ramp to the ship, turning back to wave to her boys one last time before disappearing into the passenger bay. After she stowed her carry-on luggage, she found her seat and strapped herself in for take-off. As the pilots went through their pre-flight check, Allura thought about the conversation she'd had last night with Geni and a devilish grin crossed her face.

_Well, here we go…_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Give Me Novocaine: Spring Break_**

**_Chapter 2_**

Genevieve McClain, sister of the infamous Lance McClain: Red Lion pilot, serial skirt-chaser _and _Academy record breaker.

No pressure there, really.

She had been attending the Academy for four years already, and this program would serve to put her on the fast track toward an opportunity to lead her own flight team. At twenty years old, Geni was the same age as Allura. She greatly resembled her brother with her tall, lean frame, dark auburn hair, and brilliant green eyes.

She had _also _inherited her brother's wild side and wicked sense of humor, which was one of the things that Allura loved about her.

They were a perfect balance. One might even say that their personalities were similar to those of Lance and Keith, at least during their stint at the Academy. Geni smiled at the thought. _Oh yes, Allura and I are capable of great things for sure. God help the Academy when we're through!_

With that thought, she began pacing up and down the apartment that Keith had secured for them. _Where the hell is she? She should have been here by now._

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Geni ran for it and threw the door open. When the women saw each other, they flung their arms around and started screaming like little school girls.

After the usual formalities of, "How was your trip, how's my brother, how's my _other_ brother, yada, yada, yada," it was time to get down to business. They would have plenty of time to catch up over the next few months. Geni poured them each a cup of coffee as Allura began to talk. "So, Geni, is everything set?"

"Yep." Geni nodded enthusiastically. "I've got your new IDs right here, along with a fabulous backstory, if I do say so myself. The only thing left is to dye your hair and get some color on you. I've scheduled you a hair appointment and spray tan in the morning. After that, we go..._shopping__!__" _

"We're just dying my hair, right? I don't want to cut it."

"No, just dying it. As a matter of fact, this dye washes out completely when you use a special shampoo. It's the newest thing. This way, you can go back to your blond self flawlessly right before my brothers come and get you. No one on Arus will ever know." She stopped for a moment to reconsider. "I mean, you should probably cut it a little bit, at least around your face. Maybe some bangs and layers just to give you a different look." Geni shot her a smirk truly reminiscent of Lance.

"Cool, I can live with that. So, let me see those IDs. You used the name I picked out, right?"

"Sure did! Keep in mind, we will have to go in tomorrow to add the picture after your little makeover." Geni handed her the ID. "How did you come up with the name _Dylan MacKenzie_, anyway?"

Allura furrowed her brow in thought and looked at her friend. "I'm not sure, really. It just popped into my head and it seemed…right," she answered as she took the ID from Geni. She looked it over, taking note of all the information. "So according to this, I guess I have black hair?" She raised one brow.

"With those eyes? Hell yeah! Girl, you are gonna knock all these space jockeys on their asses!" Geni squealed, barely containing her excitement.

Allura giggled. "Geni, I'm not here to find a man. I just want to prove myself without the stigma of my title." She shot her new roommate a smirk. "_A__nd_ have some fun in the process, of course."

"Hey, I didn't say you needed to find a man, Lura-lu, but it doesn't hurt to learn how to flirt and attract attention. Besides, it could prove useful on your return to Arus," Geni told her with a wink. "I can assure you, when I finish with you, we will not have to pay for anything the entire time you are here. _HA!" _She slammed her fist on the table.

"You're _nuts_, you know that?" Allura threw her a sideways glance. "Despite that, though, I am all for it. I just want to be able to be myself, have fun, and not have to worry about what people will think. While I'm here, I do _not _want to be a Princess. I just want to be one of the girls." She was firm on that matter.

Geni moved to sit next to her friend and wrapped her arm around her. "Don't worry, Lura-lu. You'll fit right in. As a matter of fact, I think that my new roommate, Dylan, is going to fit right in with me, Lisa, and Ginger. We're gonna be unstoppable! All that's left is to convince the Admiral to go along with it."

"Do you think he will?" Allura asked, concerned.

"I _know _he will. First of all, he thinks very highly of you, and is greatly honored to have you here. What you're asking for isn't unreasonable - it's kind of like a covert op, if you will. It won't hurt anyone. In fact, it will make life so much easier if no one knows who you are."

"Very true." Allura nodded in agreement.

"Besides, we're only talking about a couple months here. After everything you and Voltron have done to help the Alliance, I'm sure he will have no problem granting you this chance at some normalcy." Geni raised an eyebrow. "Of course, your 'people' might get a bit pissed off, as it's not what they agreed upon with Graham, but they'll get over it."

"How are you so sure?"

"Are you kidding? Graham will have them convinced that it is in your best interest," she replied confidently.

"Where exactly is the Admiral going to tell them I am?" Allura was a little bit confused and a whole lot worried.

"Why, at the Galaxy Alliance Royal Academy, of course!" she replied enthusiastically.

Allura, however, did not appear to be convinced.

"Listen Allura, the Alliance made an exception for you because of Keith's intervention. Royals don't normally attend general GAA programs due to the cost of additional security. The GARA was created for that purpose. This way, royals can participate in the same programs offered at the GAA, but on a different base which is heavily guarded. For security reasons, they are not allowed incoming or outgoing transmissions unless they're within overall Academy parameters, and they are escorted off base once a week to contact friends and loved ones, if they wish to do so." Geni tried to gauge how much Allura was aware of. "I take it you didn't know about this?"

"No, no I didn't. I had no idea that Keith pulled strings for me to attend the program with all of you. I just thought that this was how it was done for everyone."

"Don't sweat it, Lura-lu! Keith did it so you can feel like everyone else and have fun. The problem is, Allura, that you are _not _like everyone else, even if you are on this side of the fence. You are a Princess and they will still treat you as such. Not Jeff and them, but everyone else - including the instructors. This is the only way for you to get what you really want; what my brothers wanted for you. Trust me, if Keith wasn't so obsessed with protocol, he would have come up with this on his own."

Allura thought about it for a moment and brought forth a big smile. "You're right, it's the only way..._and_ something your brother Lance would have concocted had he had the chance for sure!" she smirked.

"Nah, I can assure you, it would've been Keith who thought it up, Lance would have just implemented it. He'd never pass an opportunity to see a woman model for him." She rolled her eyes in amusement. "All right then, girlie. Let's hit the sack and get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Geni?"

"Yeah, Lura-lu?"

She smiled warmly. "Thanks for being such a good friend."

Geni gave her another big hug. "Anything for you, Allura. My brothers think the universe of you, and so do I. Besides," she shrugged, "they would kick my ass if I didn't help you in every way possible."

After sharing a hearty laugh, the girls went off to their bedrooms for some much-needed rest.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my God! You look flippin' _amazing_!" Geni screamed. "Damn, girl, are you sure you don't want to make this change permanent?"

Geni was in complete awe of Allura's transformation. It had taken the better part of the morning, but when "Dylan" emerged, it was all worth it.

Her still waist-length hair was now straight and dyed in a rich blue-black color, complete with lush layers and a full set of bangs which, along with her fabulous tan, made her sky-blue eyes pop. She looked fabulous and it was obvious that she felt that same way. She immediately walked with a new confidence about her.

_Damn, I look frickin__'__hot__!_

Replaying Geni's outburst in her mind, Allura giggled. "Permanent? Coran and Nanny would kill me with the temporary color, let alone permanent...but I will admit, I absolutely love it! I don't know, I just feel so…so…"

"Sexy?" interrupted Geni.

Allura laughed. "Yeah, I guess I do feel….sexy," she admitted in a sultry voice.

"Nothing wrong with that, Lura-lu! Now, let's go buy some clothes to match this new sexy image, shall we? And I think a new wardrobe should include a visit to St. Jimmy

"St. Jimmy? Who's St. Jimmy?"

"Ah," Geni replied deviously, "If you haven't heard of St. Jimmy by now, then you _definitely _have to meet him."

Allura linked her arm around her friend. "Then lead the way, McClain!"

The two friends laughed as they embarked on their visit to St. Jimmy and the rest of the mall. They were about to do some serious damage.

XXXXXXXXXX

They left the mall with bags upon bags of new clothes; everything from casual to club wear. Allura had been delighted to learn that Geni's friend St. Jimmy was actually a nickname she'd bestowed upon a high-end shoe store. The high heels were ridiculously attractive and even more ridiculously expensive, but the princess quickly became entranced with a pair and could not imagine leaving them behind.

After the mall, the girls went to get the picture taken for Allura's new ID, and then to Geni's contact to have it completed. Their business complete, it was time to relax and enjoy the new Allie.

Geni managed to convince Allura to change into one of her new outfits before they went out for coffee. "It's time that you adjust to your new life, girlie!" she'd informed her new roommate. So Allura changed into a new outfit.

She chose to wear her new dark-washed skinny jeans, pairing them with a soft, drapey tiered strapless shirt with stripes of pearl and pale beige which perfectly showcased her trim figure and newly-tanned skin. On her feet, she chose soft gold-and-ivory platform sandals with a four-inch heel, which took her from her usual height of 5'9'' to just over six feet tall.

Satisfied with her appearance, she reached into her handbag for one last item: a platinum pendant that had the crest of the Royal House of Arus on one side and the initial 'A' engraved on the other. The pendant resembled the dog tags usually worn by soldiers in the military.

She hadn't looked at it since he was murdered. She needed it now, as well as the strength that came along with it.

She hesitantly placed it around her neck and turned the image of the castle towards her skin, then turned to take a look at herself in the mirror. To say that she looked fantastic was an understatement, but Allura was not used to this kind of attention. The only guys her age that she'd had any exposure to were Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Sven, and all of them had treated her with respect. Sure, Lance had always flirted with her, but this was _way _out of her comfort zone.

"Relax, Allura! This is great," Geni assured her. "You look amazing, and there's nothing wrong with garnering a little attention. Besides, you'd better get used to it - with that body, the guys at the Academy will eat you alive even if you're in sweat pants. I mean, seriously, what do you do? Work out all day? Geez!"

Allura blushed fiercely at Geni's comments - though she had to admit, she was beginning to enjoy it. "You _do_ know Keith Kogane, don't you? He gets us up at 0400 to make us run six miles just to warm up. Don't even get me started with weight lifting, self-defense, and sparring."

"Are you serious?" Geni went wide-eyed with disbelief.

"Heck yeah. When I first started training with the boys, I couldn't move properly for weeks." Allura shrugged. "I'm used to it now, though. Dare I say, I actually look forward to it?"

"You're _crazy_, that's what you are!" Taking her hand, Geni dragged her roommate out of the apartment and down to the street, where they settled on a small café a few blocks away from the main campus. Taking the lead, she chose a table on the outdoor patio, and the girls sat down to resume their conversation.

Their chatting was briefly interrupted by the cute waiter wanting to take their order. Both girls ordered coffee - Allura's latte, Geni's swimming with milk and sugar. After he left, Geni giggled loudly to herself.

"What?" Allura asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing." Geni paused, a mischievous smirk on her face. "I was just wondering if Keith realizes that he unknowingly created every fly-boy's dream woman. I mean, have they even _seen _your abs?"

She turned red as the waiter returned with their coffees. "Um...NO! I'm not even allowed to wear my bikini around them anymore, as it is not 'proper' for a Princess to be exposing herself among young men beneath her station, blah blah _blah_." Allura snorted out her best Nanny accent. "I mean, my uniform is quite form-fitting, but I can assure you, I am all covered."

"Well, what about when you're _not _in your flight suit?"

"When I'm not in my flight suit, I wear these horrible princess dresses, you know, like the ones you see in those Medieval movies - usually pink, blech! God, I hate those dresses, and I really _HATE _pink!" Allura sighed. "I would love to be able to dress like the Terran princesses. They always look so modern and classy."

"Well, that can be arranged," Geni smiled. "We'll just have to do some more shopping before you leave."

Allura grinned at her friend.

"Okay, so you have to wear the flight suit and the 'puff pastry' on a regular basis. But you must show some skin when you work out with the boys, right?"

"_Wrong_. I wear a loose fitting T-shirt and knee-length shorts…very attractive." Allura groaned as she rolled her eyes.

Geni collapsed into peals of laughter. "So what you're saying is that if they saw you now..."

"They would drop dead for sure! Hunk would go and gorge himself in the kitchen to calm his nerves. Pidge, well, he still has a little crush on me, so most likely he would just faint or hyperventilate, and your brother...well, your brother would probably attack me until Keith beat the crap out of him for daring to touch 'her royal person,' and all the while Lance would roll his eyes at him for the millionth time and call him _Captain __N__eeds-to-get-some-soon_."

With that, both girls laughed.

"And what about Keith? How would he react?" Geni asked slyly.

"Damned if I know. He's the master of hiding his feelings," Allura responded in a heavy, sarcastic tone.

Geni noticed a little flicker in Allura's eye and decide to dig a deeper. "So, Lura-lu, what exactly _is_ going on with you and my surrogate brother?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean, Gen," Allura answered shortly.

"Oh, stop it, Allura. You know you can trust me! For God's sake, you've bitched about him enough over the last two years."

Allura glared at her, annoyed, but Geni pressed on. "Listen, Allura, I love Keith. He's as much my brother as Lance is; however, I do know all too well what a stubborn ass he can be."

Allura rolled her eyes and snorted at Geni's assessment.

"Oh, come on! Spill it! It helps to have someone to talk to, you know."

Allura looked at her skeptically. Then she sighed, relaxed her shoulders, and began to talk. Geni was right. She really needed another woman her age to talk to about him.

"_Stubborn ass _is an understatement, actually." She paused to take a sip of coffee before continuing. "Look, Keith has this sense of honor and duty that surpasses anything in anyone I have ever known, aside from my father. Actually, it's one of the things that I admire most about him. He is an amazing leader - so focused and calm in the most horrible of situations. His military skill is second to none, as you well know, and his combat skills..._wow_. My people, well, they see him as their hero and savior." She gave a small smile at the thought before she finished. "Having said this, all the things that make him so incredible are the same things that drive me absolutely _mad_!"

Geni snorted, trying not to spit out her coffee as she laughed at Allura's expression. "Why, pray tell? I cannot _imagine_!"

Allura wrinkled her brow. "Our last battle - the one where the Explorer and the Vehicle Team arrived to help, I should clarify - was really intense. Lotor managed to get ahold of me again. Eventually I managed to fight him off, even did some damage, I might add, but I did get a little banged up. As usual, Keith found me, beat Lotor to a pulp, and got me to Black Lion while Lance and Hunk covered him. Once we took off, he put Black on autopilot and tried to patch me up. I had a few cuts and bruises on my face and, for the first time, I saw how concerned he was, so much more than usual. Let's just say we had a really intense moment, he kissed me - and I kissed him back." She revelled in the memory for a moment, and then sadness set in. "That's when we finally admitted that we were in love with each other and had been for a while."

Geni's face held a look of complete disbelief. "Whoa! I did NOT expect to hear that! A little lust, maybe, but you guys are in love? _Keith _is in love? Damn!"

Allura quickly raised her hand to cut Geni off. "Don't get excited, Gen. Mr. All-high-and-mighty-noble-duty-man kicked in quick. It was like, BAM! Once Commander Mode commences, there's no going back to humanity." She bit her lip sadly.

"I don't get it? What happened?" Confused, Geni gulped her coffee.

"Hmph, I got the 'I-love-you-_but' _speech. You know, 'We can't do this, Allura,' and 'It's too dangerous, Allura,' and of course, the infamous 'Duty to you and Arus first, Allura.' I mean, I know he's right about what would happen if Lotor found out, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be together! I mean, who would need to know? We could keep it a secret, just between us, at least until things calmed down with Doom. To just turn it off like a switch and put it aside - I don't think it's right." Frustrated, she toyed with her coffee mug. "We love each other, how can he just ignore that? Does he really think that by not exploring our feelings he will be more focused the next time I'm taken or injured? He's crazy! It will kill him no matter what because he's...well...Keith! The only thing that comes of us hiding our feelings is that he and I argue all the time."

Geni looked bewildered, almost as though she couldn't comprehend what she was hearing.

"Sorry, Gen. I'm just rambling...forget I said anything..."

"No, no! You are _not _rambling. I'm just shocked that the guy I thought of as my smart brother can be such a royal dumbass when it comes to something like this." She leaned forward in her chair and lowered her voice. "Listen to me, Lura-lu, Keith is really complicated. He's been through a lot in his young life, most of which he doesn't like to share, as I'm sure you know."

Allura nodded in agreement.

"Now, I am not excusing his dumbassed-ness in this case; however, I can tell you that he is: One, scared shitless about how strongly he feels for you. I mean, sure, Keith had dated here and there - he was and still is considered quite a hot commodity, but I know that he was never really in love. Two, I can bet that he doesn't feel he deserves to be with you because you are a Princess, and I'm sure that information has been drilled into the boys by Nanny and Coran. And three, he is probably scared to death of losing yet another person in his life who means so much to him. If something happened to you as a result of your relationship being out in the open, he would never forgive himself for it. Ever."

Allura interjected, "Please, Geni, I can assure you that _no one_ knows loss more than I do."

"Lura, I'm not justifying his actions - trust me, he's being way overprotective; all the more reason for you to prove yourself at the Academy. He and the rest of your team need to see that you are not some porcelain doll that will shatter at any moment. They need to see that you are fully capable of kicking ass and defending yourself."

"And exactly how is that going to help me with Keith?"

Geni thought for a moment. "I don't know, Allura. I just think that maybe if he sees that you don't need his protection, he might allow himself to take the next step with you..."

Allura gave her a doubtful look as Geni continued, "...or not. _Oof! _The truth is, I really don't know what to tell you. Hell, when it comes to love, I too am quite the dumbass."

The princess attempted to hide an amused expression. "Why, Genevieve McClain, have you fallen for a space jockey yourself?" she grinned.

"Oh, cut it out, Allura!" Geni scowled. "Besides, it's complicated."

"How so?"

Geni swooned and batted her eyelashes over-dramatically. "Let's just say that ours, too, is a forbidden love." Then she let out a small giggle.

Allura leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and shooting her friend a dirty look.

"OK! _OK! _Gosh, if looks could kill…anyway, I've known him forever. Whenever he's in town, we're always out together, seeing as how we run with the same crew. And when we're out, he always looks out for me. Aside from that, he is _majorly _gorgeous - well, at least _I _think so. Boy, what I wouldn't give to run my hands all over his body…"

Briefly, she noticed the expression on Allura's face. The princess looked like she wanted to gag.

"...Ahem, but I digress. The problem is, I think we've entered the 'friend zone'. That, and he is one of my brother's best friends - his partner in crime, actually."

Allura was confused. She wondered how many more times she'd feel this way over the course of this conversation. "OK, so what does that mean? And why would it matter that he's friends with Lance?"

Geni shook her head in disappointment. "He and Lance used to compete over who could get the most girls to go out with them, among other things." She cleared her throat. "Anywho...they're really good friends, almost as close as Lance and Keith, with the exception that Keith was not a player - that's where _he_ came in; Lance's partner in crime. _And _conquests."

"I still don't see what the problem is..."

"Come on, Allura! Do you honestly think that Lance would allow his player friend to date his little sister?" Geni threw her hands up and fell back into her chair.

Allura gave her a look that showed that what she said had finally registered. "Ah, I see. Well, guys do grow up eventually, you know. I'm sure that Lance respects him and sees him as more than a...um, player? I can't imagine Lance having friends that aren't good guys deep down. So who is it? Do I know him?"

Geni mumbled something that Allura couldn't quite hear.

"What was that?"

Geni cleared her throat and mumbled a name once again.

"Geni! Stop mumbling already and spit it out!"

"Cliff! _Cliff_, OK! It's Cliff. There. You happy?" Geni sat back and crossed her arms.

Now it was Allura's turn to laugh uncontrollably.

"I fail to see the humor, your royal pain-in-the-ass!"

"Are you kidding? It's fabulous! I _love _Cliff! He is so much fun! Oh gods, you guys would be so good together!" Allura rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Never gonna happen," Geni told her firmly.

"Why the hell not? And don't give me the Lance excuse - he'd get over it if you were happy."

"It's not just my brother. I just don't think that Cliff sees me in that way. I think he looks at me like Lance's little sister who he needs to watch over." The tone in her voice changed, and she looked down at her hands, which she crossed on the table in front of her.

Allura reached out and squeezed one of her hands. "Hey," she attempted to catch Geni's attention, "I haven't seen you and Cliff together, so I couldn't tell you if you're right in your thinking. I _will _tell you this, though: as long as it doesn't concern my own personal life, I am pretty good at reading people. If I see you two together, I'll know. Come on, I'll be your wing-woman in this situation."

Geni stifled a laugh. "You've lost it, Lura-lu, but I'll take all the help I can get." She checked her watch and sighed. "Well, girl, this is it. It's time to meet with Graham. Are you ready for this?"

Allura took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be. Come on, let's get this over with."

"OK. We'll swing by the apartment first so you can check in with Arus before the shit hits the fan. Just make sure not to forget to put the blonde wig on before you call - you don't need to ruin our plan before it begins. You're gonna need it for the meeting with the Admiral as well."

"Got it."

"Awesome. _Adiamo_, girlie! It's time to change your life!"

With that, the two friends left the relaxation of the café to embark on a new journey.


	3. Chapter 3

_ **Give Me Novocaine: Spring Break**_

**_Chapter Three_**

* * *

Allura was a nervous wreck.

Both she and Geni were in full military dress, waiting to be called into Admiral Graham's office. Allura had checked in with the castle before they left for the base, but she did not have a chance to speak to Keith. In a way, she was a bit relieved, as she was afraid that seeing him would make her even more nervous about what she and Geni were about to unleash.

"Dammit, Allura, stop fidgeting!" Geni smacked Allura's knotted-up hands.

"Sorry, I'm just nervous. Don't worry, I'll go into full-on princess mode once that door opens. I _am _a politician, after all," Allura reminded her with a crooked smile.

"How can I forget, oh noble one?" Geni cracked a smile as the door swung open. It was time.

The two women stood ramrod straight and entered the Admiral's office with their heads held high, oozing - or at least, _faking _- confidence. After they entered the room, they turned on their heels to properly salute the head of the Galaxy Alliance.

"At ease." The Admiral sat down behind his desk, watching the women as they relaxed their stances. "Princess Allura, it is an honor to have you here at the Academy and participating in our program." He respectfully inclined his head towards the Princess.

She smiled. "Thank you, Admiral, but, I must say that the honor is all mine."

"Princess, we know that you have been training with the best of the best over the last two years. After all, Captain Kogane has held the Number One overall ranking spot in the Galaxy Alliance Academy for over five years. The same can be said for Commander Holgersson's Number Two overall ranking, and Lieutenant Commander McClain's Number Three overall ranking - as I said, the best of the best. I have no doubt that you will achieve great things here."

_No pressure. _Allura willed her face not to betray her thoughts.

"It is not often that we have royalty among the general population, so the instructors and participants are quite excited," Graham continued. "I will have to warn you that between security and your popularity, you may feel like quite the celebrity over the next couple months."

With the Admiral's statement, the two women exchanged glances and grinned. It was _exactly _the opening they needed.

Geni delicately cleared her throat. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

Graham nodded. "As you wish, 2nd Lieutenant McClain."

"Sir, the Princess and I have spoken at great length regarding her goals and aspirations for attending this Academy program. Quite frankly, we believe that her celebrity status will only interfere with her main objective of proving herself and her abilities without discrimination due to her station as Princess of Arus and position as Blue Lion pilot of the Voltron force. Surely you would agree that this could very easily influence the way instructors and team members would treat her."

"What are you getting at, McClain?" the Admiral intoned stiffly, standing up behind his desk.

"Admiral Graham, Sir, I will respectfully continue on from this point, if I may." Allura took over, looking him in the eyes with the full confidence of her station.

"Of course, your Highness, please continue…my curiosity has been piqued."

"Admiral Graham, you have spoken to Captain Kogane, so I am sure that you have been informed as to how important it is for me to be treated as a member of the general Academy population and not as royalty. For this reason, it was determined that I not be placed in the Royal Academy as Alliance protocol would dictate."

"Yes, Princess, it is as you say."

"Well, with all due respect, Admiral, being escorted by armed guards everywhere I go and being treated like paparazzi fodder is not exactly my idea of blending in with the general Academy population, and it most certainly would not afford me the opportunity to earn my rank based on merit and not bias." Allura was unflinching, speaking like a true politician. She stood tall and maintained eye contact with the Admiral.

"Your Highness, I understand your concerns; however, you are a prime target," he answered. "We cannot have you in the general population without a security force, aside from the fact that Captain Kogane would most definitely send Voltron after us if we left you unprotected. As far as your celebrity status, well, I don't see how that can be avoided, either."

"On the contrary, Admiral, 2nd Lieutenant McClain and I have a proposition for you that will prove to be beneficial for both of us."

The Admiral looked at the Princess, somewhat intrigued. "Is that so?" He raised his eyebrows. "Well, go ahead, I'm listening."

It was Geni's turn to speak. "Actually, Admiral, it might be easier to show you." She turned and nodded to her roommate.

On cue, Allura removed her blonde wig. Her new, dark-as-night hair came tumbling down past her shoulders.

Graham's face froze as Geni spoke up again. "Admiral Graham, I would like to introduce you to my new roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie. It appears that, due to recent unforeseen circumstances, it was in Princess Allura's best interests to be transferred to the Royal Academy to ensure her protection. Unfortunately, per Garrison regulation 825-24, royal persons are not allowed to receive incoming transmissions on account of security protocol, and are escorted off the base once a week in order to make contact with their home base. Princess Allura may contact the Castle of Lions at that time."

The Admiral was speechless as Allura placed a confidential file folder on his desk and picked up where Geni left off. "This is my confidential personnel file - or rather, Dylan MacKenzie's. I am sure you will find that everything is in order."

Graham looked through the personnel file for a moment. When he finished, he shook his head in disbelief, finally ready to speak.

"Let me get this straight: you want me to deceive the Castle of Lions _and_ the Voltron Force, as well as the Galaxy Alliance Space Academy, so that Princess Allura can attend the program without being noticed and without a full security detail?" he questioned. An expressionless look was plastered on his face.

_Gee__z__, are they all alike__,__ or what__?_ "Yes, Admiral. That is _exactly _what I am asking," she replied firmly. "Considering the sacrifices that my people and _I personally _have made over the years - including the sacrifice of my childhood, thanks to the lack of initial support from Galaxy Garrison - and in addition to the fact that I have been a loyal ally to the Garrison and have allowed Voltron to be used to assist the Garrison in matters unrelated to Arus, I believe that what I am asking is not out of line. May I remind you, I have risked my life on a regular basis, alongside my team, to keep Doom at bay, which has been greatly beneficial to the Galaxy Alliance." She paused to let her statement sink in. "Admiral, I have always dreamt of attending the Academy as my father did. I would like to do so based on my own merits. For once, I want to be treated as a peer, not as the sole living heir to the throne of a monarchy that has been dead for years. I, for one, do _not _believe that it is too much to ask of the Alliance, not after all that I have done, in addition to the continued support that I have given. Do you?"

Once again, Allura stood unfaltering, waiting for the Admiral's response.

Admiral Graham, all six solid feet of him, stood motionless after listening to the princess. He never broke eye contact with Allura and never showed any emotion, negative or positive. His pause went on for what seemed like forever until he finally broke the silence.

With a slowly creeping smile, he answered, "No, your Highness, it is _n__o__t _too much to ask. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that Kogane didn't think this up himself - he must be slipping. Well done, ladies." His eyes sparkled. "_2__nd__ Lieutenant MacKenzie_, welcome to the Space Academy. I will make sure that her Highness is 'transferred' to the Royal Academy immediately. I'll inform the Castle of Lions first thing Monday morning." He finished with a conspiratorial wink.

Both women flashed him a bright smile and saluted in full military fashion. _He actually agreed to it! He's actually going to let me do this!_

Allura spoke up gratefully. "Thank you, Sir. I can assure you that you will not regret this decision."

"See to it that I don't, Lieutenant _MacKenzie_, as I do not want to face the wrath of Captain Kogane," he replied, still amused by the antics.

"I assure you, Admiral, I have every intention of being the first female to break the Academy overall Top Five - along with my partner in crime, of course." She winked at Geni. "Don't be surprised if the standings you mentioned earlier change by the time I'm done."

"Lieutenant, I would not be in the least bit surprised." He sat back down at his desk and glanced down at his mountain of paperwork. "Get settled in, ladies, and enjoy your last day of freedom tomorrow. You are to officially report to me no later than 0600 on Monday to begin the program. Go rest up!"

The young women saluted one last time and exited the Admiral's office. As soon as they closed the door behind them, they hugged each other and let out a breath that they didn't even realize they were holding.

"Let's go, _Dylan_. I don't know about you, but I need a frickin' drink! Whataya say we go home, shower, get all decked out, and get this party started!" Geni pumped her fists in the air.

Allura laughed as she followed Geni down the hall. Exhilaration was coursing through her body. _This is it! I am finally free! Uninhibited, I can just be...me. Look out fly-boys, here comes some serious competition!_


	4. Chapter 4

_W-A-R-N-I-N-G- Another 'similar but different chapter ahead! Thank you to all who are reading/reviewing/following...this story was my 'baby' and I'm glad I didn't let it go :-)_

_Cubbie and Chris: This story has P!NK written all over it! All humor, romance, and girls being naughty...hope you enjoy!_

_KathDMD: *evil giggles and grins* oh...I'm going to give you so much more LOL! Luv u!_

_JustLucky05: Thank you! Although "Madness" is soon to get more serious...GMN will stay humorous...the story takes a completely different turn...think you'll have fun with it :-)_

_Drowningblonde: This one will, truly, remain lighthearted and a true ode to 20somethings..things will get spicy down the line ;-) Yes...this one is all about fun..._

_FroofyB: Madness will deal with both Allura's and Keith's issues and is about to take a serious turn as more things are revealed. GMN, however, is all about fun, humor, and lighthearted romance. Keith and Dylan will have many challenges...but all in fun! Glad you like!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OCs are mine..._

* * *

**_Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine_**

**_Chapter 4_**

_The Hangar_, located less than one hundred feet away from the back entrance of the Galaxy Garrison headquarters, was _the_ stereotypical hangout for the Alliance elite, as they called themselves; _they _being Jeff, Lisa, Ginger, Cliff, Shannon and Crik (along with the rest of the Vehicle team), and back in the day, Keith, Lance, and Sven - and, when they weren't building something, Hunk and Pidge. The reason for its popularity among Space Academy cadets and Garrison employees alike was because it held fast to the tradition of serving alcohol to all military personnel aged eighteen and older. The owner's general belief was simple: if a soldier was old enough to die for his country, he (or she) was sure as hell old enough to have a drink. Luckily, the government agreed, and now it was just one of the many bars and lounges in the area that catered to a younger crowd.

Tonight, since he happened to be in town, Liam decided to join his old classmates, although the gang highly suspected that it was just so he could meet the famed Princess Allura and try to sink his claws into her. Of course, it didn't hurt that he knew that Ginger and Lisa would be there, dressed to impress.

Commander Liam Lochlan had tied with Jeff at the Number Four spot in overall Alliance rankings. He had turned down a position on the S.S. Explorer as a member of Jeff's Air Team in order to command the _Infinity_, the Alliance fleet responsible for minimizing Drule presence in the Orion quadrant on the border of the Milky Way and the Denubian.

As he entered The Hangar, the first person he saw was Lisa. She was dressed lusciously in a pair of deep-blue skinny jeans and a sleeveless white lace top with a high neckline and a borderline-open back. On her feet, she wore strappy fuchsia glitter-and-satin platform heels. Though she hadn't brought a sweater or jacket to keep her warm against the night's cooling temperatures, she had her boyfriend Jeff, which was _almost _as good.

It made him angry to know that she was off-limits.

"Gee, Liam. How nice of you to grace us with your presence." Lisa raised a dubious eyebrow as she lifted a glass of chardonnay to her lips.

"Oh, come on now, Love. Did you _honestly _think that my brother from down under here would pass up the opportunity to finally meet the beautiful Princess?" Cliff piped up. "Unfortunately for him, she's not his type - not even _close._" He playfully slapped Liam on the back.

"Yeah? We'll just see about that, mate. No woman can resist my exquisite charm. Isn't that right, girls?" Liam shot a presumptive smile at Lisa and Ginger. They both rolled their eyes at him.

"Been there, done that, and it wasn't much to write home about," Ginger barked at him as she took a sip from her drink. "Seriously, boy, you _so _need to get over yourself."

"That's not quite how _I _remember it, Gingie." He had to admit, she still looked incredible - she still had those gorgeous blonde curls and that killer toned body. Speaking of her body, she'd dressed it in a basic white form-fitting tank top, covered by a black long-sleeved cardigan with leather panels along the front as well as a pair of tight black low-rise skinny jeans. She was nearly five inches taller from the strappy red patent leather designer sandals on her feet, which showcased the gorgeous red pedicure she'd gotten earlier in the day. "Shall I refresh your memory?"

"You know, Liam, when you and I were dating, you said that you would die for me. I think it's time for me to take you up on that offer," Ginger snorted.

Liam laughed. "Good one, Gingie. That's why I will always treasure my original misconception of you." The sarcasm in his words stung. "I thought you were such a nice, quiet girl in the beginning."

"OK, you two, knock it off!" Jeff cried out, shooting them both a dirty look. His gaze then settled on Liam. "Seriously, Liam, back off. We know why you're really here tonight, and it's not because of our scintillating company." He draped his arm around Lisa's shoulders. "The Princess is off-limits."

"Is that so, Jeffrey? Does that order come directly from you, or a certain _other _raven-haired Captain?" Liam cracked smugly.

"Liam, I love ya, but back off, mate. Just be cordial for once in your bloody life." Nobody missed the irritated tone in Cliff's voice.

"Ha. I should've guessed." Liam snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Is Kogane worried that I might steal his little Princess' virtue? Because God knows that Mr. Protocol _never _will."

He laughed to himself for a moment. Once he looked up, he noticed all the serious faces glaring back at him. "What? Oh, relax, mates, don't go pop-a-vein. Geez, lighten up!"

"Look, Liam," Lisa scowled, "despite the fact that you are the _worst _kind of man whore we have ever met, you are our friend, and God knows why, but we do love you. We _also _know that this stupid competition thing you've had going on with Keith for years has tended to get out of hand. The Princess is NOT to be part of it - that's all. Are we clear?" She put her hand over his.

"Crystal, Love. Don't worry, I will try my best to turn off my animal magnetism when her Highness arrives. Lord _knows _it will be hard, but I'll take one for the team." Liam gave a mock sacrificial sigh.

The rest of them couldn't help but laugh at his antics. It was true; he was the worst kind of player. Lance and Cliff were insatiable flirts and got around as well, but they always treated women with respect. Liam, on the other hand, had no problem in using women just to get what he wanted, and since he _was _very attractive, most of his conquests were willing participants. With his muscular build, shoulder-length chocolate-brown hair and sapphire eyes - not to mention the accent from Down Under - he was definitely a dream to look at. Most girls didn't mind being used by the suave Commander and were easily swayed by his super-cheesy one-liners...and they were most _definitely_ cheesy.

"Where are they?" Ignoring Liam now, Ginger began to grow worried and impatient.

"Geni just texted me," Lisa told her. "They should be coming in any minute. Oh, and she said that there's been some kind of change."

Ginger furrowed her eyebrows. "What change?"

"I'm not sure. She said she'd explain when she gets here."

Cliff rolled his eyes before picking up his glass.

XXXXXXXXXX

Outside The Hangar, Allura and Geni were having one last chat before they walked in. "OK, Lura-lu. This is it. The deception begins. Are you ready?" Geni held onto her roommate's shoulders.

"Relax, Geni, I'm fine. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I plan to enjoy every moment of it - so let's go already!"

Geni grabbed her arm to stop her one more time. "Wait! One more thing!"

"What?"

"I didn't get a chance to warn you about Liam."

"Liam? Why does that name sound familiar?" Allura furiously tried to remember why she knew that name.

Geni rolled her eyes, which seemed to be a common occurrence whenever anyone discussed Liam. "I'm sure you must have heard about him at some point from Lance or Keith. Liam and Keith have had this Academy competition thing going on for years. Liam _loves _to do anything that'll piss Keith off. Anyway, that's not the point..."

Allura interrupted her. "What _is _the point, Gen? Get to it! I want to go inside."

Geni flinched. "OK, so Liam is _really _good looking, and he knows it. Let's just say the universe does not have enough room to accommodate his overabundant ego." She saw that Allura was growing impatient and let out a sigh. "Just watch out for him, Allura. As soon as he takes a look at you, he's going to do everything in his power to get into your panties."

Allura gasped and flushed bright red. "Geni, _gee__z_!"

"I'm serious, Allura! I know you can handle him, but the more you turn him down, the more annoying and pushy he becomes. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Well, thanks for that. Now let's go inside before they send out a search-and-rescue team. Oh, and Gen?"

"Yeah, Allura?"

"Stop calling me _Allura_. From this point on, call me _Dylan_, even when it's just the two of us. We can't risk a slip-up."

"You got it, MacKenzie," she winked. "All right, let's go. We've got some explaining to do."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey! There's Geni!" Ginger yelled loud enough for her friends to hear her over the roar of the music. She then turned her head in the direction of the guys, who were all staring blankly in Geni's direction, their jaws dropping to the floor.

"Who the hell is that hottie with her?" Jeff asked after he'd picked his jaw back up.

In response, Lisa smacked him upside the head.

"_OUCH!" _

"You deserved that," she informed him.

Liam cleared his throat. "Is that not Princess Allura?" he asked, trying not to sound impressed - though secretly, he was blown away.

"Don't know who that vision is, mate, but it is definitely _not _our Lura-lu," Cliff replied. He, like the rest of the guys in their crew, was stunned by the beauty standing next to Geni. He was in awe of both of them, actually.

Both women were dressed to impress in tight-fitting denim and heels. Geni wore her slim-fitting jeans with a pair of violet chunky-heeled sandals On top, she wore a silky white tank top with a satin-trimmed V-neckline that accentuated the curves of her upper body.

Allura - or Dylan, rather - wore a new pair of denim, this time her new designer straight leg jeans in a deep indigo color and brilliant crystal embellishments. On her feet, she wore those insane heels that she had fallen in love with at St. Jimmy's - high platform sandals with thin straps of black and neon yellow Her torso was fitted in a sleeveless, body-conscious colorblock tank, white with black trim and a racerback neckline . It accentuated her sculpted arms and back while outlining her insanely well-toned midsection. "When you have a body like _yours_, you have to show it off every chance you get!" Geni had told her when they were shopping.

Allura had decided to take her advice. After all, she wasn't Allura, Princess of Arus and heir to the throne anymore. She was now 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie, a super-sexy hotshot fly-girl, and she was going to relish every moment of her new-found persona. Being 'Dylan' gave her the chance to be herself, to be the person she really would be if she could express it. It would still take a lot of getting used to, being able to let herself be free without consequence.

As the girls approached the table, Allura was instantly uncomfortable with the lustful looks that the guys were sending her, but she shook it off quickly. Even though she didn't know Liam - _H__e __is__ quite handsome__,__ by the way_ - she knew Jeff and Cliff well enough, and understood that they meant no disrespect.

Geni ended the gawking by speaking up. "Hel-_loooo! _Earth to seemingly mature men! Stop gawking at my roommate! Eyes _up_, jackasses!"

Ginger and Lisa laughed whole-heartedly, agreeing with Geni's assessment. "Hey, Geni!" they greeted her, standing up to hug her.

Lisa then turned to Allura. "You'll have to forgive these idiots," she smiled. "From the way they're acting, you'd think they have never seen a beautiful woman before."

Allura shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "That's OK. I've learned to ignore it by now. Boys will be boys - one track mind and all," she finished carefully, making sure that she didn't sound full of herself.

"Aw, _crap_!" Geni smacked her palm to her forehead. "I'm sorry, everybody - I'm so _rude_! So this is my new roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie, and she's super awesome. Dylan, I'd like you to meet Jeff, Cliff, Lisa, and Ginger."

As the members of the Vehicle Team all took turns to greet her, someone loudly cleared his throat.

"Oh yeah...and _that_ would be Liam." She gave the customary eye roll.

Not one to undermine his reputation, Liam grabbed the dark-haired girl's hand and brought it to his lips. Locking his eyes on hers, he placed a feather-light kiss upon it. "I must be dead, Love, because I do believe that I've seen an angel."

Now it was Allura's turn to roll her eyes as she pulled her hand away from him. "Wow. You know, Liam, whoever told you to 'just be yourself' gave you some really bad advice. I would consider rethinking that friendship." She sarcastically patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.

"Hmm. We've got a spunky one, I see," he smirked, allowing a sly grin to creep over his face. "And just so you know, I _love _spunky."

"Yeah, I bet you like all kinds of spunky," Allura retorted in a low, husky tone. She smirked back at him, then turned away from him to face the rest of the group. "It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you. Geni has told me so much about you that I feel I already know you all." She shot them a captivating smile.

Jeff scrunched up his face. "I hate to interrupt this introduction, Gen, but where's Allura? Keith said she was with you. Is she alright?" The concern was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I thought she was rooming with you while she attended the program," Lisa added.

"She was supposed to, and she was with me until this afternoon, but there has been a slight change in plans." Geni paused to gather her thoughts before she continued the story.

"Is she alright? Did something happen? Does Keith know? Oh, _God_!" Ginger started to panic.

"NO! Gingie, no. Allura's _fine_. It's just that Admiral Graham decided that she needed to be transferred to the 'other side' for her own safety." Geni mentally prepared herself for the inevitable onslaught of questions.

Allura took a seat next to Geni and listened intently to the group's conversation about her.

"What? What a bloody crock of shit!" Cliff cried out, angry as hell. "Like we couldn't take care of her? Aw hell, now she's got to be surrounded by all those anal bastards." He slammed his fist on the table.

"I'm sure she's used to it, mate. She works with Kogane, remember?" Liam spat out.

His friends shot him a dirty look in reply.

"Oh, come _on_! It's not like it's a lie."

They all shrugged in reluctant agreement.

Geni ignored him and responded to Cliff and the rest of her friends. "Look, I guess there was some kind of incident. Graham pulled Lura-lu into the office this afternoon and explained his concerns. He gave her the option to go back to Arus, but this program was just too important to her. As much as she hated to do it, she decided to transfer over so she could at least undergo the training and earn her rank legitimately."

"Why didn't Keith say something to me when I spoke to him earlier?" Jeff asked. "It sounded like he thought she was with you."

"Well, that's because he doesn't know yet..." Geni began.

"_WHAT?"_ Jeff and Cliff both yelled at the same time, cutting Geni off.

"Dude, does Graham have, like, a death wish or something?" Ginger added, promptly tipping her head back to finish her drink. Allura giggled to herself.

"He didn't even bother to consult with Keith before approaching Allura?" Lisa raised both eyebrows.

Cliff ran an agitated hand through his blond locks. "Oh _man_, the shit is gonna hit the proverbial fan when Kogane gets wind of this."

Liam rolled his eyes at everyone's reaction. He was obviously annoyed, so he got up from his seat and turned to the group. "This is all getting a bit irritating, so I'm going to get a drink. Gen, Dylan, can I get you anything?"

Geni hesitated a moment, but she knew that she and Allura could definitely use a drink. "For once, I will take you up on that, Aussie boy. Can you get me a Captain and Coke?"

"Got it." He turned to Allura and asked, "And how 'bout you, Love?"

"I'll have the same, thanks," she replied.

He nodded and threw her a wink as he walked toward the bar.

After he left, Geni picked up where she left off. "Look, the Admiral knows how Allura feels about everyone controlling her life. He wanted to give her the opportunity to make her own decision. You know that if he had talked to Keith first, he probably would have made sure that Allura went back to Arus. It's common knowledge that he thinks that _he _is the only one who can protect her."

"Oh, come on, Gen. That's bullshit." Jeff was agitated. "He knows that we can protect Allura. That's _why_ he arranged this. He knew we would be here supervising the Spring program."

Geni exhaled. "Jeff, I'm not saying that. Of _course _he knows you guys can protect her under normal circumstances. But right now, no one knows much about this 'threat' that the Admiral mentioned. For that reason alone, Keith would have forced her to come back." She shrugged. "Besides, the Admiral said he would contact Keith first thing Monday morning."

"Will the Force be able to contact her?" Lisa asked.

"No. Same rules apply to her as to every other royal," Geni replied.

Cliff laughed hysterically. "HA! I give it one month tops before he drags McClain out of bed and comes out here himself. There is no way he's just going to sit back and take this one on the chin, not knowing what's happening."

Allura sat back, taking in all of the dialogue, trying to digest everything they were saying about _her_ Captain, the Commander of the Voltron Force. She wanted to jump in so badly!

But Cliff's last comment made her eyes grow wide. _Would he? No, he wouldn't. No way!_ He would recognize her for sure. Maybe not from a distance, but the minute he laid eyes on her - dye job or not - he would know. Of that, she was certain.

_Damn __it__!_

Her mind raced as the conversation continued around her. Thankfully, Liam returned with their drinks, which Allura began to consume all too eagerly.

"I say two months - that is, if Allura contacts the castle on schedule once a week," Jeff wagered.

"Does Kogane know I'm in town?" Liam suddenly shot out.

"No, actually, he doesn't," Jeff replied.

Liam chuckled. "Tell him. The first time the Princess doesn't check in, his Yank ass will be on the first jet out."

Lisa cringed. "I hate to agree with him, but the mere thought of Liam going anywhere near her will do it for sure."

They all gave a hesitant nod in agreement.

Geni glanced over at Allura, who looked as though she was about to implode. "Hey Dylan, you OK?" she asked with a hint of concern, knowing that the conversation was getting to her. "You've been pretty quiet."

Allura clutched her drink in her hands. "Hmm? Oh. No, I'm fine. I'm just...surprised, that's all."

"Surprised by what, Lieutenant?" Jeff prodded.

Allura gathered her thoughts carefully before she spoke. "Well, to be honest, although I have never met Captain Kogane personally, I have heard many things about him. I mean, he still holds the highest ranking scores in Alliance history, and is known as a brilliant military strategist. Hell, he even made Captain at such a young age!"

"_And?" _Liam did not seem impressed.

"_And_ I won't even bring up all that his team has accomplished under his command on Arus." She took a huge gulp of her drink. "This is all common knowledge, and yet you still think he would drop everything and storm the Academy because he has no control over the Princess' security, or simply because he is worried that your pretty friend over there might hit on her? That doesn't sound like the Captain that _I _have heard of."

Suddenly, Liam reached out and grabbed her hand. With glittering eyes, he whispered, "So, you think I'm pretty, do you?"

Allura rolled her eyes and fought the urge to gag.

"Look, Dylan, everything you have heard about Kogane is true. Having said that, however, he has this sickeningly annoying sense of honor, duty, and control." Whether they liked it or not, Liam's words rung true.

"Yes, but it goes deeper than that, mate," Cliff reminded his fellow Aussie. "Kogane feels personally responsible for the Princess' safety and well-being. He has good reason not to trust 'outsiders,' because she's been abducted while in the care of others. Sure, it's happened when she's been with the Force as well, but they have Keith, and he always gets to her straight away." He took a swallow of his beer - Foster's, of course. "Here, at the Royal Academy, she's not a priority, she's just another royal. Security for her will be no different than any other royal in attendance. Who's going to protect her from a royal with a grudge? That's what Keith will think. He will not be able to relax until he knows for sure that she'll be properly protected, even if that means coming here himself. Now, Allura knows him better than anyone. If she knows what's good for her, she'll check in like clockwork!"

Allura nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, enough about that! Why don't you tell us about yourself, Dylan?" Liam was eager to get off the subject. Allura was grateful for the change and actually flashed him a smile.

"Hmm, tell you about myself." She tapped her finger on her chin. "Let's see. I'm originally from Michigan. Both of my parents were in the military - they began their careers as Marines before joining the Garrison. I began training at a young age. Because of this, I have become a rather skilled pilot, if I do say so myself. And I will…_gladly__.__" _She paused to wink at them. "I am also a pretty good shot, fare well in hand-to-hand, and have trained in various forms of martial arts. Like your friend Kogane, I too take my work very seriously, and I don't play games when it comes to leadership and strategy...but when I am off, I am _off_. My love for the rules does not translate into my life off-base. I guess that just about sums it up."

As she finished her story, she looked at the group of friends listening to her. Part of her felt guilty for not telling them the truth, especially after seeing their concern. However, she knew that the fewer people that knew the truth, the less likely it would be that a slip-up would occur. The only reason they hadn't recognized her was that their contact with her over the years had been minimal at best.

"Well, Dylan, we are happy to have you as part of our little dysfunctional family and look forward to getting to know you better. Welcome!" Lisa offered kindly, raising her chardonnay.

"I'll drink to that!" Ginger toasted. "Cheers, everyone, and welcome to the Academy, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie!" In solidarity, everyone raised their glasses, and Allura blushed furiously.

If she thought she'd have a problem fitting in, well, she was more than happy to be wrong.

XXXXXXXXXX

The following evening in the Castle of Lions, the walls shook with the sound of the Captain's voice.

"You did _WHAT_?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Happy Saturday Everyone! Hope that most of you are out being Naughty ;-) Thank you to all who are reading GMN! This is a short one...hope you enjoy!_

_KathDMD: Broke is an understatement LOL! Liam is my guilty pleasure "stifles a laugh* Well...you know ;-)_

_JustLucky05: Yeah...a litter for sure!Yeah...this version is the fun frat party version for sure! Hove you continue to enjoy!_

_Cubbie and Chris: Ha...too funny!...I thought about Liam when I saw the movie :-)...only Liam isn't that bad...well...*clears throat*_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OCs are mine..._

* * *

_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine**_

_**Chapter 5**_

"Keith, man, take it easy."

Lance put his hand on Keith's shoulder in a failed attempt to calm him down. Automatically, the captain pushed it away, glared back at him, and continued his tirade.

By this point, Hunk, Pidge, and Coran had heard Keith's enraged cries and rushed to the control room, curious to find out what was behind the commander's loss of control. They found the captain and his second-in-command staring at the viewing screen, with Admiral Graham taking the brunt of Keith's anger.

"As far as the Alliance, Galaxy Garrison, and Voltron are concerned,_ I_ am her commanding officer and _I_ am responsible for her safety," he informed Graham through gritted teeth. "_Why_ was I not notified immediately? Is there something you're not telling me, Admiral?"

"Captain Kogane, might I remind you that _I _am _your_ commanding officer, and I suggest that you take a few deep breaths before you say something that you will further regret," the Admiral replied, his voice steely.

In response, Keith said nothing, but glared at him with angry eyes.

The Admiral looked back at him, unflinching. "We received a general threat, not necessarily directed toward Princess Allura, but to an 'heir to the throne,'" he continued. "Who, what, and where was never specified. I was concerned about Her Highness' safety while attending the program at the general Academy; however, not knowing for sure who the threat was aimed at, I did not find it necessary to alarm the Royal Court of Arus and the Force unnecessarily..."

The Admiral was interrupted by Keith's outburst. "You didn't find it necessary? If you were concerned enough to pull her out of the general base - where she would have been protected by Jeff and his team, I might remind you - then we should have been contacted immediately. I trust Jeff and the others implicitly. If there is any questionable threat that _they_ are not capable of shielding her from, then Princess should be HERE and not THERE!" His face was bright red; he was clearly ready to blow again.

Lance elbowed him. "Dude," he hissed under his breath, "you're talking to _Graham_. The guy who holds your entire career in his hands. You might want to ease up a little there, Buddy."

"Well, Captain, Princess Allura did not see it that way," the Admiral retorted dryly.

Keith snorted. "Of _course _she wouldn't - she's being stubborn and trying to make a point!" He paused, flustered, to run a hand through his hair. "The princess is not in the position to make decisions regarding her safety. She doesn't realize what's at stake, or how to protect herself from a general threat. That's why _we _are in charge of her security and not her!"

He knew that everything he'd just said came out sounding bad, but at this point, he really didn't care.

"Hey now, _Commander Awesome_, relax! Give our girl some credit, will you?" Lance was tired of listening to his friend ranting and raving like a lunatic to the head of Galaxy Garrison, and could feel himself beginning to lose it.

"SHUT UP, LANCE!" Keith snapped. "This doesn't concern you!"

"Like _hell _it doesn't!" Lance hollered, looking as though he might deck his best friend and brother until Hunk stepped between them.

"Hey Chief, let's not go all postal here, OK? We _all _care about Allura and want her safe. Let's just hear the Admiral out before you go off the deep end. Deal?" Hunk looked straight at his commander, placing both hands on his shoulders.

In an effort to calm himself, Keith gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he nodded at Hunk, gave Lance a look, and spun around to face the Admiral once more. His voice commanded attention. "Admiral Graham, are you aware that for a while this castle was full of princes trying to seek Allura's hand in marriage?"

Coran leaned into him, whispering, "Keith, I do not see what this has to do with…"

Keith quickly held up his hand to cut Coran off, and the advisor backed away.

"Yes, Captain Kogane, I am aware," the Admiral replied tonelessly.

"Are you also aware of just how many said princes her Royal Highness managed to insult while they were here?"

Under his breath, Lance blurted, "Heh, _that's _an understatement..." while Hunk and Pidge snorted from holding in peals of laughter. Coran, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, rubbed the area between his eyes and stared at the floor.

Graham began to look interested. "No, I was not."

"Then you are also not aware of the fact that many of them made threats as they stomped out of the castle with their tails between their legs. Some of these princes are Academy alumni and members. How do you plan on protecting our Princess from _them_?" Keith crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at the Admiral.

From behind him, he could hear Pidge whisper, "Good one, Chief!"

The Admiral looked at the Voltron Commander, starting to regret going along with this plan. "Keith, what do you want from me? Your Princess is one devastatingly determined young woman. I can assure you that the only way you will stop her from attending the program is by knocking her out and dragging her back against her will - otherwise, she will not budge on the matter. She is so determined to prove herself that she will take drastic measures to assure that she completes this training."

The boys couldn't help but smirk as the Admiral made reference to the Princess' stubborn streak; they were all too familiar with her determination.

"Captain Kogane, you need to find some way to deal with this current situation. I can assure you, the Princess' return to Arus is not an option. In addition, there will be no exceptions made for her. She will follow the same protocols as the other royals."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Lance jumped in.

"It means that you will not be able to contact her. Incoming and outgoing transmissions are not allowed within the Royal Academy for safety reasons." The Admiral finished, then braced himself for the onslaught that was about to come.

All of the men began yelling at once...well, all except Keith. The Voltron commander, who had been at the height of anger just moments before, was now standing silently with his arms still crossed over his chest.

"So you're saying that Allura will have no way to contact us and we can't contact her? This is _crazy_!" Lance cried out.

"What if she's in trouble? What if she needs us?" Pidge added, his voice deep with concern.

"She will have the opportunity to be escorted off the Royal base once a week in order to make contact with you. This is the protocol for all of the royals," the Admiral reminded them.

Tempers flared again, and everyone now turned to look at Keith, who was still in the same position, this time with his eyes closed. He was deep in thought.

_Something doesn't make sense. Allura would have contacted me if there was a threat. The Admiral would have come to me first. It doesn't add up. Allura's up to something__,__ I just know it - and for whatever reason, the Admiral is backing her up._

"Keith, dammit! Say something!" Lance yelped.

Keith maintained his stance looked up at the Admiral and spoke calmly, in full-on Commander Mode, as it was known amongst the team. "Admiral, I would like a list of all the royals attending the program so that we can conduct our own checks. We will inform you if there are any red flags. I would also ask that you advise Princess Allura that she is to contact us every week like clockwork. If she is late even once for scheduled contact, I will come there personally and drag her back here, and yes, I _will _knock her out if I have to - make sure that you reiterate, word for word, what I have just said and make sure that she understands that this is not a threat, but a promise."

Coran and the team gawked at him.

The Admiral studied Keith for a moment. _My boy is too smart for his own good. He suspects something, I can tell. _He offered Keith a sly little smile. "I will, Captain. I can assure you that I will pass your message on to Princess Allura immediately, and I will have the list of names for you within the next hour. Graham out." He saluted, then cut the connection.

Keith did not say anything or look at anyone. He simply turned on his heel and stormed out of the control room. Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Coran remained behind, bewildered.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello everyone! Hope you are having a great weekend! Thank you all readers/followers/reviewers! I'm glad you like GMN :-) Special thanks to my fantabulous editor!_

_**A.N**. For those following 'Madness', this is the 'Blue Angel' incident that Allura and Geni got in trouble for...F.Y.I *wink*...also...similar dialogue alert for beginning of this chapter..._

_Cubbie and Chris: He needs a high dose of novocaine for sure! LOL_

_AHLondon: gave you two 'Madness' this week ;-)_

_JustLucky05: Yes...quiet Keith is much more sinister...you never know what is going on in that complicated brain of his...and he will be sneaky indeed...but- will it backfire? hmmmm..._

_KathDMD: LOL...I did not catch that!...Anywho...I adore Graham...he and Charles McClain have pretty much been the father figures in Keith's life since the disappearance of his parents (from my POV...and many others as well) Oh my...what do you have in store for him in IWBS? I can only imagine! xoxoxoxo_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. OCs belong to me..._

* * *

"_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 6**_

Over the next few days, it was business as usual in the Castle of Lions. Physical training at 0500 - after a cup of coffee, of course - followed by breakfast, Lion and target practice, a break for lunch, then a little bit of sparring. Yes, all was normal - except for Keith.

Ever since their conversation with Graham, Keith was unusually reserved and quiet, even more so than normal. He was in a constant state of contemplation, and it was driving Lance nuts. He went out of his way to frazzle his illustrious Commander, but Keith just wouldn't budge. He'd been hoping that Keith would snap out of it with Sven's arrival on Arus the day before, but he remained the same.

Late in the afternoon, once they finally had some free time for themselves, Lance happened to catch Sven walking down the hall. "Ah, great Viking, where art thou headed to with such vast determination?" He used a cheesy mock accent as he bowed to his friend, a wicked little grin on his lips.

Sven, who wore an irritated look of determination on his face, stopped in front of Lance. He grabbed the Red Lion pilot's arm and spat, "Intervention. _Now. _I've had enough."

"Well, it's about fucking time someone else realized it." Lance backed out of Sven's grip. "Come on, let's go give Captain Fearless a swift kick in the ass."

Together, they marched down to Keith's office, ready to make him talk.

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith sat at his desk. His eyes were closed and he propped his head up in his hands, trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

He and the team had already run checks on the list of royals that Graham provided. Although there were a couple of princes on the list that annoyed Keith and the others, simply because they were the few pompous asses that their Princess classified as "cute" - _U__gh!_ - there was no great cause for alarm. It didn't help that they were not allowed to contact her. The idea pissed Keith off even more.

_I have no control over this._

He hated that he didn't know what was happening, especially considering the fact that he and Coran were the last to learn about the change in the princess' placement. His thoughts were jumbled in his head. _Dammit__,__ Allura, what are you up to? Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm just a control freak. Damn this, I shouldn't have recommended that she go. There's __got to be __a logical explanation. I need to drop it. No, __then again, __she is definitely up to something - but what? What the hell is she trying to prove? Payback__,__ that's what this is! _He furrowed hisbrow_. _

He was brought out of his meditation by his friends barging into his office.

"How many frickin' times have I told you to _knock_, McClain? I'm running out of codes to use!" he cried out, agitated, as he looked up in the direction of the door.

Sven and Lance glared back.

"Oh, and you brought a bodyguard. Wise choice." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

The three stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Keith spoke. "So, are you going to spit it out, or are we just going to stare each other down all day? I do have a call I need to make."

"What the hell, Keith!" Lance blurted out. "Ever since Graham's call, you haven't said a word to us outside of training and formalities. Shit, man! If something is going on, we deserve to know!" He pounded on the desk.

Keith, of course, remained as he was - he didn't even flinch. This only aggravated Lance more, as he swung around to turn to his old Academy roommate. "Sven, you'd better do something fast, 'cuz I'm about to knock him senseless!" Lance's anger was building dangerously.

Sven moved around Lance and sat in front of Keith. He leaned back, crossed his legs, and commented, ever-so-calmly, "You know, Keith, I never thought that I would see the day that a woman would be able to break you."

Keith's eyes darted up to his, furious, as the rest of his body remained in the same position.

Sven gave a sly smirk. "What's the matter, my friend? Did I discover your kryptonite?"

Keith continued to glare at him, his jaw twitching slightly. Lance shifted his gaze from one to the other, curious and slightly confused.

"Nothing to say, eh? Well, I guess love will do that you." Sven continued to smirk at Keith while realization dawned on Lance. The Red Lion pilot's eyes grew wide.

"You have _no _idea what you're talking about, Sven," Keith finally spoke, tone unflinching. He leaned forward in his chair, placing his folded arms on his desk.

Sven followed suit and leaned forward as well. "Really? Then tell us, Captain, what could have made you so uncharacteristically reclusive, even for you?"

Keith looked from Sven to Lance, and then back to Sven. He was obviously losing this battle, and in all honesty, he was ready to just give up and share the anxiety with someone else. He took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair, and looked at his friends. "She's up to something," he told them matter-of-factly.

Lance moved to the chair next to Sven and sat down. "Who?" he asked.

Looking annoyed, Keith answered, "_Allura_, Lance, that's who!"

Lance looked at him, confused. "Up to _what_? What could she possibly be up to?"

"Well, Lance, if I knew the answer to _that_, then we wouldn't be here right now, would we?" Keith replied sarcastically.

Lance opened his mouth to argue, but Sven waved him off. "So you're saying that you think this whole thing with Graham was her idea?" he asked, beginning to understand where Keith's line of thinking was headed.

"Oh, she's behind it, all right, one way or another - I just don't know the how or the what," Keith answered confidently.

"_Or_ the why. I mean, what would she have to gain?" Lance blurted out, obviously confused.

Sven laughed. _"__E__verything."_

"I must be a real dumbass, 'cuz I don't see the point," Lance hissed.

"Independence, self-reliance, control...I could go on and on. She wants to prove to everyone that she can handle her own defense and make choices that she believes are in her best interest without anyone's input - and really manage to piss me off in the process." Keith narrowed his eyes angrily.

"It's obviously working," Sven pointed out, laughing. Lance, never one to miss a good laugh at the captain's expense, joined in.

"Shut up, both of you," Keith spat out. "She's being stubborn, and that _always _spells trouble where she is concerned!"

"Can't argue with you there, Bro," Lance agreed. "She is definitely a trouble-seeking missile, that's for sure!"

Keith actually chuckled. "I don't know. I admit I may be overreacting, but my instincts tell me that something fishy is going on and our oh-so-innocent Princess is right in the middle of it. I know Graham too well. If there had really been a threat, he would have come to me first, I'm sure of it."

"Which would mean that, for some reason, Allura approached _him_ first," Sven followed the logic.

Keith nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"And you guys really think she would do all of this just to prove some kind of point?" Lance sputtered.

His friends shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah, you're right," Lance finally caved. "She would _so_ do it."

"Do _what_, though?" Keith shrugged. "_That_ is the million dollar question."

"You know, if you really think about it, Keith, this is all your fault," Lance pointed out. "I mean, it was _your _brilliant idea to send her to the Academy in the first place." His comment earned him the most deadly of looks from Keith.

Sven, wanting to redirect the conversation, loudly cleared his throat. "Keith, have you contacted Jeff yet? I remember hearing Hunk say that Jeff and the others were supposed to meet with Allura and Geni the other night. Maybe they can shed some light on the situation."

"I thought about that, too. They were all meeting at his place tonight. That's who I was going to call before you two came barging in here." Keith raised his brow.

"So do it! We're not stopping you." Lance smirked. "Besides, I haven't seen Gingie in a while."

Keith rolled his eyes and punched in the codes to pull up the vid-screen. Sven and Lance came around his desk to stand next to him. After a few moments, four familiar faces filled the screen.

"Way to keep us waiting, Kogane. Cliff's almost on his third beer," Jeff teased.

"Sorry, Jeff. Apparently, Sven and Lance _still _have trouble with the concept of a locked door." He shot his friends a look.

Cliff laughed. "Anyways, just ignore Jeff. He's being a wanker because he's on duty tomorrow and can't have fun like the rest of us."

It was Jeff's turn to shoot a look.

"Hey Gingie baby! Lookin' _good_!" Lance grinned as he whistled out at her.

Ginger winked at him. "You're not doin' so bad yourself, McClain."

Keith sighed in annoyance. "Are you two done?"

"Keith, do you _ever _turn yourself off? Geez!" Lisa smirked. "Although this must be serious if you called in Thor over there."

"Hi guys. Nice to see you all," Sven greeted them, leaning over the captain's shoulder.

Keith pushed him and Lance out of the way. "OK, OK, enough pleasantries. What the hell is going on down there?" he asked stiffly.

"Man! You guys found out about the 'Mac-Clain' incident already?" Ginger shot out, her expression shocked.

"Uh, it's _Mc_Clain, not _Mac_Clain, Ginge. I would think you'd know that after all these years and, well, _other _things," Lance winked.

The blond Air Team pilot rolled her eyes playfully. "We know that, you idiot. The incident was named Mac-Clain because it involved Geni and her new roommate, whose last name is _Mac_Kenzie."

"WHAT? Aw crap, what the hell did she do?" Lance buried his face in his hands.

Keith cut in. "We'll come back to that later, Lance! We're calling about the Princess, Jeff."

"Oops." Ginger scrunched up her face.

Cliff gave her a side look. "Nice going, Ginge. Geni's gonna kill you."

Ginger grimaced.

Jeff rolled his eyes at them and took over. "What about the Princess? Did something happen over at Club Med?"

Lisa elbowed him in the ribs.

"_Hey! _What was that for?"

"You're an ass." She turned her attention to Keith. "What's going on, my friend? What do you need to know?"

"Something doesn't add up. I don't understand why Arus was the last to know that there was a threat and that the Princess was transferred to - _ahem _- 'Club Med.'" He tossed Jeff a knowing look.

Jeff grinned. "Honestly, Keith, we were just as surprised as you were. After we spoke with you, we all went down to The Hangar to meet Geni and Allura. Instead, Geni walks in with her new roommate..."

Cliff interrupted, "Correction: SMOKIN' HOT roommate!" He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Please continue."

Lance laughed in the background as Jeff shot Cliff yet another dirty look. "Thank you for that, Cliff, but that's _another _story."

His words earned Jeff yet another jab from Lisa, and everyone laughed - everyone except Keith. He just huffed, loudly, bringing his old Academy roommate back on point.

Jeff coughed. "Sorry, man. Anyway, after a few introductions, we asked Geni where Allura was, and she told us that they had a meeting with Graham earlier in the afternoon and it was decided that Allura would be transferred to the 'other side' for safety reasons."

Keith was annoyed. "Geni knew?"

"Looks like it, mate," Cliff replied. "She had a lot of the details, so either she was in the meeting with them, or Lura-Lu told her everything before she was transferred. I just don't get what the bloody rush was." He looked at Keith mischievously. "Bloody shame, too. The Thunder from Down Under was looking forward to finally meeting her."

Ginger smacked him upside the head. "You really _are _an idiot, aren't you, Cliffie. How in hell did you get to become captain of the Land Team?"

Keith squinted as he glared at the screen. Slowly, he rose from his chair. "Excuse me, but did Cliff just say that Liam is there?"

Sven and Lance glanced at each other knowingly.

Keith took a deep breath and tried to contain his growing frustration. "If there are any more surprises, I would appreciate it if someone. Would. Tell. Me. _NOW!"_

_Fuck. He's going to lose it._ Sven and Lance each put a hand on one of Keith's shoulders. He glared back at them before plopping back onto his seat, running an agitated hand through his hair. In the meantime, the group on the vid-screen grimaced, knowing full well that Keith was really pissed.

Jeff finally spoke up. "Look, man, we were just as surprised about all of this as you were. As for Liam, well, who cares, really? As far as why Geni didn't tell you, well, I can only assume that it was because the brains at the Alliance dropped a new roommate on her that same day, so she was probably busy with that and didn't get a chance to call."

It was Lance's turn to speak. "Yeah, but that was Sunday, today is Thursday."

"She's probably avoiding you because of that 'incident,'" Cliff laughed.

"All right, spill it! What the hell did my sister get herself into now?" Lance cried out.

The three of them were curious, even Keith. At this point, he was so aggravated that his mind needed to take a break from the Princess and focus on someone else's problem before he exploded.

The group on the vid-screen looked at each other, smiling, trying to decide who would be the one to tell. "Aw, bloody hell, I'll just tell him, geez." Cliff rolled his eyes. He then looked at Keith, Sven, and Lance, and proceeded to tell the tale.

"Where to begin? Well, we told you that Geni got a new, smashingly hot roommate..."

They all groaned. "Yes, you've made it a point to tell us that a few times," Lance cracked dryly. "Say it one more time, and I am leaving base here and coming to Earth to judge this chick with my own eyes."

"Er...moving on. Her roommate is 1st Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie. She just transferred here from the base in Michigan to attend the program, and she and Geni have really hit it off. Crazy, really, almost as though they've known each other for years. They're already inseparable and quite a dynamic duo, I might add. Kind of reminds me of you and Keith...pretty scary."

"Cliff...the point already," Keith reminded him not-so-subtly.

"Anyways, the other day they were...ehem..._exploring_ the base when they came upon a hanger that housed a fully functional vintage Blue Angel F/A 18B Super Hornet from the 21st century." Cliff stopped when he heard the whistles coming from the other end of the vid-screen. Even Keith's eyes widened at the thought of the aircraft. Sure, the technology had been surpassed by far; however, as a pilot, to have the chance to fly one would be incredible. It was obvious that they all thought the same thing, as Sven's and Lance's eyes glazed over at the mention of the aircraft as well.

"Damn! Those things are _amazing_!" Lance's expression was almost reverent.

"Can you imagine the rush of flying one? Now _that_ would be amazing!" Keith sighed with a wishful grin.

Cliff cleared his throat. "Well, yeah, it appears that Dylan and Geni thought the same thing, because they hijacked it and took it out for a spin."

"WHAT?" the three shrieked in unison.

"And they haven't been thrown out of the Academy? Whose ass did they..." Sven began, but he stopped quickly when he remembered that they were talking about Lance's sister. "Oh, never mind. So, what happened after that?"

"Look, we're not quite sure whose idea it was or how they pulled it off. All we know is that MacKenzie was in the pilot's seat with Geni riding shotgun, and boy, did Dylan put on a show! It was flippin' _amazing_!" Lisa told them.

"You're telling me! I don't think I have seen anyone handle a jet like that since you guys were here," Ginger gushed.

"That good, huh? Well, I am still Number One in flight, baby, don't forget that," Lance winked.

"I don't know, Lance - this girl may give you a run for your money. Rumor has it that the higher-ups have been watching her. They think she may actually be the first female to break the Top Five overall - and they haven't counted your sister out, either. I've gotta say, those two are a force to be reckoned with, on _and _off the base." Jeff beamed, showing that he was truly impressed with the girls.

"I can't believe that the brass would let something like that slide. They had to have gotten some kind of reprimand." Keith was still trying to digest what Jeff had said.

"Believe it or not, all they got was a slap on the wrist," Cliff reported. "The brass made it look as though it was planned for them to fly the jet, and reprimanded them by confining them to their quarters when not attending scheduled Academy training and testing for the next couple of days. Not much of a punishment when you consider the stash of alcohol Lady Genevieve keeps in that flat." He laughed.

Keith, Lance, and Sven were shocked beyond belief. "That's it? That's all they got? Pfft, the Academy has gotten soft," the navigator snorted.

Keith was lost in thought again. He snapped out of it as Jeff spoke. "Keith, are you alright, man?"

"What? No, yeah, I'm fine. It's just that nothing I've heard in the last few days is making any sense…at _all_." He was skeptical as usual. "I mean, believe me, Gen is like my little sister, and I'm glad this didn't ruin her chances. I just can't believe that they got off so easy for doing something so…_shit! _They hijacked an F/A 18, for God's sake! Even Lance wouldn't do something so insane."

"Yeah, but think about it, Kogane," Cliff interjected. "If you and Lance _had _done something like that, you would have gotten off scot-free too, and you bloody well know it! Regardless of the fact that you, oh Noble One, would never have gone through with something so against regulation."

Keith sighed. "Yeah, you have a point. They probably would have covered for us as well."

Lance snorted. "Yeah, well, no one is gonna cover my little sister from ME. She's going to get it when this call is over. First, she doesn't warn us about the Princess...and then _this_? I'm gonna _kill _her!"

"Right, Lance. You go let her have it," Ginger laughed.

"No, I'm serious! I mean, what the hell was she thinking? Keith's right - even _I _wouldn't do something that stupid. I bet it's this new roommate of hers. I'll give her a piece of my mind too!" Lance yelled.

Jeff and Cliff snorted with laughter, and the girls snickered. Even Keith and Sven were smiling behind him.

"Now _that_ I would pay some serious money to see, mate!" Cliff teased.

"Oh please, he'll freeze the minute he takes one look at her!" Lisa joked.

"Wow, you guys are real comedians, aren't you," Lance snorted.

"Dude, you've got no room to talk - you haven't seen her. Besides, she is one tough chick. I'm sure there's nothing that you can possibly say that will frazzle her. Hell, even Liam can't hold his own where Dylan is concerned," Jeff pointed out.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not Liam. Besides, I'm used to being around hot women - you've seen our Princess, haven't you?" Lance raised his brow.

Noting that the conversation was about to go in a different direction, Keith decided it was time to say goodbye. "Okay, everyone, it's getting late out your way, and I'm sure you have better things to do. Jeff, thanks for the info, and please be on the lookout for anything that seems out of the ordinary. If you hear anything or if something feels off, please let me know."

"You got it, buddy. We'll snoop around and see if we can figure anything out," Jeff replied. "Later, McClain. Take it easy, Thor."

"I'll beat you senseless, Jeffrey, don't think I won't," Sven grumbled good-naturedly.

After saying their goodbyes, the connection was terminated. Keith and Sven turned to look at Lance, who had taken over Keith's place as being the "angry one."

"You want to call her now and get it over with?" Sven asked carefully.

"Oh, _h__ell _no! I'm waiting 'til after dinner. By then it will be, what, 0400, 0500 on Earth?" Lance cracked.

Keith nodded. "That's about right."

"Good." Lance smirked. "I'm going to wake Geni's ass up bright and early. With any luck, she'll be extremely hungover, which'll make it that much more painful." With that, he strutted out of the office, leaving Sven and Keith behind to shake their heads.


	7. Chapter 7

_Happy weekend everyone and welcome to Chapter 7. Thank you to all who continue to read and for all the support! and...as always...my fab editor ;-)_

_A.N.- I had edited this chapter to conform to 'Madness' and decided, last minute, to not include it...aside from a few lines of dialogue here and there, it should be completely fresh...hope you enjoy!_

_KathDMD and JustLucky05...thank you for your reviews! Glad you are enjoying and Kath...well...you know ;-) xoxoxo_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters..OCs belong to me..._

* * *

_**"Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 7**_

"_I remember when we were gambling to win_

_Everybody else said,_

'_Better luck next time'_

_I don't wanna bend like the bad girls bend_

_I just wanna be your friend_

_Why you giving me a hard time?_

_I remember when we were gambling to win_

_everybody else said,_

'_HAHAHAHAHAHAHA'_

_Is it ever gonna be enough?_

_Is it ever gonna be enough?_

_Is it ever gonna be enough?'_

_- Metric, "Gold Guns Girls"_

* * *

0430. Geni was still sleeping, snoring away due to the amount of alcohol she'd consumed last night after Ginger warned her that Lance had learned about the 'Mac-Clain incident'.

Allura, on the other hand, was already awake and showered. She slipped into her kohl-colored yoga pants and black sports tank that cut off right below her breasts. She put on her gym shoes and her "funky glasses," as she called them, due to the fact that the lenses were a clear burnt orange-red color rather than dark brown or black.

Even though she wasn't on Arus, she still followed the same morning routine she had with the team. She was used to it, and besides, she actually enjoyed it, although she would _never _admit that to them. Allura always felt good after her morning run and workout - she'd even added yoga to the mix, finding that it truly relaxed her and helped her to focus.

It was already Friday, which meant that she had been on Earth for only a week but had already managed to cause a stir. She sighed. _Friday. That means tomorrow I have to face Coran and Keith. _

She grimaced at the thought.

_Damn, this run is gonna feel __sooooo good __right now. _She walked through the kitchen, taking one last sip of her coffee before heading out. She was about to leave when the vid-screen began to beep signaling an incoming call.

_Shit! _

She called out for her roommate. "Gen! Phone call, Geni! Get your ass up!"

From inside the room, all she heard was a groan and a low mumble. "Just get it."

_Shit! Shit! __Shit__! _

Allura took a deep breath, checked to make sure she had her glasses on, and answered the vid-screen. _Oh, Genevieve McClain owes me __big__ for this one... _

XXXXXXXXXX

Lance was annoyed at how long it was taking for them to answer. Every second that ticked by seemed to be mocking him, which made him even _more _irritated.

"Easy, Lance," Keith reminded him, a hint of an ironic smile playing on his lips. "Just remember what _you _were like. Don't be too hard on her."

"Easy for you to say. And what the hell is taking them so long?" He smirked. "They're probably scared shitless."

"I wouldn't count on it, fly-boy."

The female voice sounded vaguely familiar. Lance slowly took in the woman on the screen and his mouth went dry. Blue-black mane flowing endlessly over her shoulders and framing her almost too-perfect face, plump rose-colored lips, and _those abs__...__My __G__od!_

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" She let out a sultry purr. She knew Lance well enough by now - it would drive him crazy.

Lance sat, speechless, staring, as he subconsciously licked his lips. Keith, who had heard every word, threw something at him, causing Sven to laugh.

Lance shook his head and tried to gather his words. "Not yet. Why? You offering?" He shot her a sly smile.

After fending off Liam's cheesy pick-up lines and advances for the past week, Allura didn't flinch - although she was laughing on the inside. _Ah, that's my Lance! _"Is there something of substance that you'd like to say? Because I _do _have things to do, and right now, you are wasting my time."

She then ignored him, crossing her arms in front of her chest as if he hadn't said anything at all.

By this point, Sven and Keith had already made their way toward the vid-screen. Emboldened by their presence, Lance continued, "I take it you're Dylan."

"Wow. You certainly have a flair for the obvious. Now, what can I do for you?"

Lance smirked and was about to answer when she waved him off. "And no X-rated requests..._seriously_."

Hearing that, Keith and Sven laughed.

Lance was annoyed. "Well, Dylan, it's like 0430 there. Why are you so chipper? And where's my little sister?"

Allura glared at him. "I'll go get her for you," she snapped, effectively cutting their conversation short. As she turned away, the guys all got a glimpse of her magnificent backside.

"Damn." Keith rubbed his eyes.

"Cliff and Jeff weren't kidding," Sven added.

"That's an understatement, man. She is frickin' _hot_!" Lance whistled.

From off-screen, they heard her yell, "You know, I can still hear you!"

Allura had played her hand well, but she wasn't about to push her luck. "Geni? You've got to come out and talk to them," she whispered after she cracked open the bedroom door. "I can't risk any more face time with them than I already have. You're up."

Geni groaned. "OK. I've got this. Just gimme a second."

As she exited Geni's door behind her, Allura made it a point not to get too close to the screen. She moved back into the living area to get her gym bag. As Geni groggily made her way out of her bedroom, she heard Lance holler, "Aw, Dylan, I hope you're not leaving on my account."

As he chuckled, Allura threw her gym bag over her shoulder and glared at Lance on the screen. "You're a jackass." She then turned to Geni. "McClain, get some coffee in you and meet me at the hangar in two hours. The Garrison hangar, _not _the bar, just to clarify."

She shot Lance one more dirty look and left.

Geni groaned, grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat in front of the vid-screen. As she glanced up, she noticed that Lance, Keith, and Sven were all shooting her the same poisonous look. She focused on her brother and sighed. "Don't start with me, Lance."

"Don't start?" he huffed, raising his voice a few decibels short of a screech. "How about_ where _do I start? First you decide not to tell us about Allura, then you and your little friend decide to hijack a vintage jet...what the hell were you _thinking_, Geni?"

"Oh God! Look, if you want to talk, that's fine, but for the love of all that is holy, please don't yell. I am seriously hungover and MacKenzie is planning on busting my ass today."

Keith pulled up a chair next to Lance and Sven stood behind them. "Geni?" he began gently. "Before we get to Allura -" he paused as he saw her grimace slightly, "- we want to hear what happened with this Blue Angel incident. Did MacKenzie put you up to it?"

Geni softly laughed. "No way, she is by-the-book, big time. She comes up with some really good ideas, but she'd never go through with them. _I_, on the other hand, have no problem turning her ideas into reality, and she's awesome in making sure that we don't get caught." She paused to sip her coffee. "It's scary, really - you guys have _no _idea what we've managed to pull off in just a week. This bitch is _brilliant_!"

"Yeah, _real _brilliant, getting caught WITH AN F/A 18!" Lance yelled angrily, jumping out of his seat. Keith and Sven quickly grabbed him and pushed him back in his chair.

"Shit! I said no yelling - _G__od!" _Geni cried out, holding her head.

"Then cut the sarcasm, Gen, and just tell us what happened," Keith warned. "Or else _I'm_ going to start getting pissed."

Geni scrunched up her face. "Look, really, this particular thing was not Dylan's idea. We heard a rumor that there was a vintage Blue Angel on base. I convinced Dylan to use her, shall we say, _assets _to find out where they were keeping it. That was a no-brainer. I mean, you guys saw her; it took, what, a whole five minutes to get the information?" She sipped her coffee again. "Anyway, during our break, we made our way over to the hangar. Once again, Dylan convinced the guard to let us see it. Once we were inside and Dylan saw it, I knew I had her." She smirked, remembering the expression on Allura's face when she saw the F/A 18 painted in blue and gold.

"What do you mean, you had her?" Sven asked.

"Dude, don't be fooled by Dylan's looks. She is one kick-ass pilot and soldier. When she saw that craft, she looked like she had reached nirvana. I could tell that she was just aching to get her hands on those controls."

"But if she's so by-the-book, how did you convince her to take it?" Keith wanted to know.

"Why don't you ask Graham?" she smirked. They all gave her a dirty look.

"I can yell if I have to, Gen...here I GO!" Lance began.

Geni put her hands up in front of her face. "Fine...fine...OK? No yelling!" She sighed. "Like I said, Dylan is really good at what she does, and the brass has taken notice. It's only been a week, but she has already shattered the overall Garrison female division rankings held for the last seven years. Dude, she hit number one in every sub-section in just the first week!"

The guys were floored.

"She beat out Lisa?" Lance was shocked.

"I got one better for you," she continued, eagerly anticipating their reaction. "Between us, she doesn't even know that she's already beat out Hunk and Pidge in overall scores."

The guys were speechless. She _loved _it!

"Anyway, I pointed all this out to her and convinced her that they would never throw her out because she is too important to them. I then convinced her that she could prove to them how awesome of a pilot she really was by handling the F/A 18 like a pro. Once again, she was able to convince the guards to let us sit in the cockpit - you men are so frickin' _easy_." She grinned deliciously. "She took the controls and I sat in the back. Words cannot begin to express what happened next. When I told her to show off, I was just trying to convince her to take the jet out, but she took me seriously. She flew that thing as if she had flown it all her life. It was _beyond _amazing. I can honestly say I do not regret what we did for one second."

Lance noted the dreamy look on his sister's face. "Geni, I get that you had an orgasmic experience -"

Geni grimaced. "_Gee__z_, Lance! As if my head doesn't hurt enough already!"

"Let me finish! I get it was _awesome_, OK? Better? Heck, I may go as far as saying that I may be a little jealous, but you _can't _go around pulling shit like that. Gen, you could have gotten thrown out of the Academy." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Shit, I'm not telling you not to pull pranks, but this is serious. Please, Vievi, promise me you won't do anything this stupid again."

Geni mellowed out when she realized how concerned her brother was. "I can't promise that I won't get in trouble - I am _your_ sister, after all."

They all laughed in response.

"But I promise not to do anything that stupid again."

"That's all I ask." He raised an eyebrow. "But I still don't get how they let you guys off so easy."

"Are you kidding? After the show MacKenzie put on? The brass was blown away! They kept saying they haven't seen flying like that since you guys were here. Rumor has it that they're choosing her to lead the Black Panther team, and she chose me as her second!" She squealed enthusiastically.

"WHAT?" the three guys cried out in unison.

"You heard me! That's why I'm meeting Dylan at the hangar - she wants me to do additional training with her so I can be ready." She smiled proudly.

Keith flashed her one of his rare grins. "Geni, we are so proud of you! That is _quite _an accomplishment."

They all knew how big of a deal this was. Keith had led the Black Panthers, hence his mysterious tattoo, with Sven as his second, rounded out by Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. It was because of their teamwork, camaraderie and accomplishments as Panthers that they were chosen for the Arus mission.

"Thanks, Keith, although I owe it all to Dylan. I mean, I know I'm a great pilot, but she really believes in me and tries her best to keep me out of trouble. I owe her. She really saved my ass this time - she pretty much took the blame for the whole thing."

"I'll be more than happy to thank her in person," Lance quipped, a wicked grin on his face. Sven and Keith both smacked him in the head, while Geni rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Now that we got that out of the way, what the hell happened with Allura?" Keith got back on track, not allowing himself to forget to ask the real question.

Geni looked down, obviously thinking about what to say, which did not go unnoticed by Keith. "You already know everything, Keith. I really don't know what you want from me. I'm sorry I didn't contact you right away, but Graham made it very clear that I was to say nothing."

"Who called the meeting, Gen: Graham or Allura?"

Geni hesitated. "You know, I'm not sure. I never asked. When Lura said we had to meet with Graham, I just assumed that he had called the meeting. I was with her all day and I don't remember hearing her contact him. Why don't you just ask her tomorrow?"

"Oh, I'm planning on it - if she bothers to contact us." Keith's response was edged with sarcasm.

"Don't worry. Graham gave her your message, word-for-word, as you requested."

"You were there when he told her?"

"Yeah. He let me see her before she was whisked away to Pretentious-ville. She got the message, loud and clear." She laughed nervously. "While this has been loads of fun, you heard Dylan. She's expecting me, so I gotta go." Geni still had to shower and get dressed.

"Where the hell was your roomie off to this early in the morning, anyway?" Lance asked.

"Yeah, she was certainly not hungover like someone we know," Sven teased.

"Shut up, Sven. She was going for her usual run and workout. Crazy bitch does it every morning. Tried to get me to do it so I could, as she put it, 'increase my stamina and endurance.' I told her that my endurance and stamina need sleep."

The guys laughed as Lance added, "Sounds like someone we know."

To that, Keith gave him a dirty look. "Yeah...I wonder _who_?"

Geni continued, "And when she's done with that, she does yoga so it can help her focus and 'balance her Chi'...whatever! It's her new thing now after Lisa introduced her to it. I say…leave me out of it - girl's crazy. On the _other _hand, she's got one rock-hard body, no denying that."

"Amen!" Lance agreed, high-fiving an enthusiastic Sven.

Keith leaned over to the former Blue Lion pilot. "I'm sure Romelle would _love _to see you doing that."

Sven grimaced. "Relax, Keith, I know where my bread is buttered. Do _you_?"

Keith turned away, unwilling to say anything more.

Following their goodbyes to Geni, Lance cut the connection.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura remained quiet throughout flight practice. Geni got the feeling that she was pissed off about something, and made a mental note to ask her what was wrong when they got back to the locker room.

Next up was hand-to-hand combat practice. Although she and Allura were pretty much head-to-head when it came to flying, Allura always took her in hand-to-hand and martial arts. She was all-too-happy for that segment of training to be over.

Once she returned to the locker room, she looked around and noticed that Allura was already gone. _Oh boy, that's not good. She must really be pissed._

Geni heard cheering and taunting as she approached the gym for the final segment of training. She walked in to the sight of Allura sparring with Liam and managing to really be kicking his ass - she had him pinned down good. She was standing over him, her right foot on his back while gripping his left arm, which she had twisted behind him.

_Oh yeah, she is definitely pissed! _

"Love, if you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask," Liam groaned from his pinned position.

Allura responded by twisting his extended arm deeper.

"Ow! Shit, Dylan! Fine, I'll belt up."

Disgruntled, she released him and while Jeff laughed in the background. "Serves you right, man," the Air Team captain informed him.

Liam tried to loosen his neck muscles and rub his shoulder while he glanced at Geni. "Damn. What side of the bed did she get up on this morning?"

Geni sneered back at him. "Thanks a lot, Liam. Now you've got her all pissed off and I have to fight her next!"

"Look, Gen, I know it's hard to believe, but this mood has nothing to do with me." He snorted.

Allura tapped her foot impatiently. "McClain! Are you just going to stand around, or are we going to get your ass-kicking over with? I'm getting hungry."

Geni groaned and went on to meet her fate.

XXXXXXXXXX

Once they were back in the locker room, Geni waited for it to clear out so she could approach her roommate. "Hey, Lura-Lu, what the hell's up your ass today?"

Allura threw her a dirty look. "Watch it, Gen! You've got to stop calling me that! What if someone had walked in just now?"

"Excuse me, Lieutenant! I was too busy worrying about why my best friend is behaving like a ROYAL bitch!"

Allura glared at her, and Geni glared back. They remained in a stand-off for a few minutes until Allura broke the gaze by looking down to tie her gym shoe. "Sorry," she finally offered. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"You're not the only one, Dylan. We all have a lot of crap on our minds, but it doesn't mean we go around beating the shit out of everyone."

"First of all, I _wasn't _going around beating the shit out of anyone. It's called hand-to-hand combat training for a reason. It's not my fault that I happened to WIN." She whipped her head up to meet Geni's gaze.

"You're kidding, right? Dylan, you were not out to just win today, you were out to cause damage. I saw what you did to Liam and I sure as hell felt what you did to _me_, so I am going to ask you again, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been acting like a cranky bitch ever since Lisa and Ginger left our place yesterday."

Allura looked at her and sighed. "I don't feel comfortable talking about this here, Gen."

Geni nodded knowingly. "Alright then, we have nothing to do until we meet Lisa and Ginger later. How 'bout I pick up a couple of our favorite lattes and meet you back at our place and you can let me know what's bugging you?"

"That's fine. I'll head out in a few."

"Great, see you at home, roomie!" She smiled before walking out the door.

Once the door had closed behind her, Allura closed her eyes, fighting against the urge to break down and cry. She took a deep, calming breath, then exhaled as she opened her eyes, standing tall to walk out the door. She decided to make the trek back to their apartment on foot so that she could gather her thoughts before meeting Geni.

_I'm being stupid. Geni is my best friend and hell knows I need to vent to someone. If I continue to keep everything bottled up inside, there's no way I'll make it another __week__,__ let alone two months__. __ I know she won't judge me. God, I really am acting like a cranky bitch - spoiled rotten little princess is more like it. __Snap out of it__,__ Allura! _

When she finally made it back to their apartment, Geni was already there, ready and waiting with their lattes. "Sure took you long enough!" she greeted her.

"Sorry, Gen. I was just trying to clear my head. Thanks for the latte." She forced a smile as she sat on the loveseat across from Geni.

"Hey, I'm worried about you, girl. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Allura checked the room to make sure that all vid-coms and screens were off.

"Lura! Stop being so paranoid! This is our place and we can speak freely in here - now spill it!"

Allura sat back down and looked at Geni. "This is so much harder than I thought, Gen. I don't know if I can make it to the final competition."

"What in hell are you talking about? Allura, you're amazing! Geez, you've already broken every record in the women's division - you're ranked Number One, for God's sake! Hell, you have to spar with the guys 'cuz none of the chicks want to take you on anymore and it's only been a week!"

Allura rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about _that_, Geni. I actually look forward to my time on the base. It's the only time that I feel I'm in my comfort zone. _That _I can handle."

"OK, so I don't understand. What are you having a hard time with?"

"_THIS_, Geni!" she shrieked as she ran her hands through her hair and along her body. "Dylan MacKenzie is my problem!" She sat back down in the loveseat and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Why? It's not like you're faking your personality. You're totally being yourself - your true self, the one everyone is always trying to suppress. Dylan is _you_, all the way. The only thing fake is the hair and the name."

"I'm deceiving everyone I care about, and I don't like lying, Geni. It's stressing me out and making me act irrationally. To make matters worse, I am kicking ass, breaking records, and I, _Allura_, am not even getting the credit for it - Dylan is!" There was bitterness in her voice.

"Is that what this is about? The fact that you can't tell the Force 'I told you so'?"

Allura looked up at her.

"No way! Lura-Lu, the only reason you are gaining this success is _because _no one knows who you are! If you stayed with the original plan of attending as yourself, you may have still broken records, but you would have done so with the knowledge that your teammates here at the Academy would hold back when going against you simply because you are a princess and a Voltron Force member, which is exactly what you _didn't _want to happen. It wouldn't have been real." Geni grabbed her by her shoulders, almost as though she wanted to shake some sense into her. "THIS is real! YOU are succeeding because YOU are a kick-ass pilot and soldier! Who cares what the guys think? I thought this was about you and how _you _feel and what _you _want. YOU, Allura, are accomplishing things here at the Academy that haven't been seen in years! You and I are about to make Academy history by breaking into the overall Top Five. Do you have ANY idea what a big deal that is? As long as _you _know the truth, who cares about everyone else? Snap out of it, girl!"

Allura looked back at her friend, touched. "You're right, Geni. I know you're right. Of course I know how important this all is and I am proud of myself. I just want them to be proud of me, too."

Geni looked at her sympathetically.

"The pressure of keeping up this façade is getting to me. I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster. When Lisa and Ginger were here last night talking about the conversation they had with Keith, Lance, and Sven, it killed me that I couldn't say something. Then this morning, when the vid-screen showed an incoming call, I was a wreck. I knew that it was probably the guys. You made me answer and I was mortified that it would be Keith staring back at me, or that Lance would recognize me. Thank God I had those funky glasses on!" She gritted her teeth. "To make matters worse, the three of them were commenting on how hot _Dylan _was!"

Geni cringed at the last statement. _"__O__uch." _

Allura shot her a look, and Geni raised her brow, laughing.

"I fail to see the humor here, Gen."

"Are you kidding? We could have so much fun with this! Think about it. Keith would probably be comfortable flirting with you because you are on his level - and trust me, he can be quite a flirt when he wants to be. He's not as obvious as Lance, but he is _good_, that's for sure!" The wheels were already turning in Geni's head.

"I don't _want _him to flirt with Dylan, Geni! He is supposedly in love with _me_. It would break my heart if he flirted with Dylan."

"Oh, come on, it would be innocent flirting. Keith would never take it seriously and is way too serious about _Allura_ to flirt with _you_ that way - he'd be too embarrassed. It would be just like you and Lance. Trust me, I know Keith."

"Gen, get it out of your head. It wouldn't work anyway. I can assure you that the minute Keith looks at me - _really _looks at me - he'll know. Knowing Keith, I'm sure he already suspects that something funky is going on. You'll see. He's going to interrogate me tomorrow as if I'm a common criminal. It'll be another installment of who's-gonna-break-who-first." She grimaced.

Geni laughed at her again...which caused Allura to raise her brow- again.

"Oh, come on, Lura-Lu! You just make it so easy!" she laughed even harder.

Allura rolled her eyes.

"OK, OK!" Geni chuckled. "I'll drop it - _for now__.__" _She wore a Lance-like smirk which made Allura smile. "Do you feel a little better, at least?"

Allura smiled at her friend. "Yes. Thanks for letting me vent."

"Lura, you're my best friend. I am always here for you. If you need to talk, please come to me. Don't hold it all in, 'cuz you're a real bitch when you do," Geni winked.

Allura giggled. "That means a lot, Gen, really."

"Any time, girl. Don't be afraid to come to me. I'll never think any less of you."

"Thanks. Now, let's get ready so we're not late, or else Lisa is going to take my place as the cranky bitch," Allura smirked. Geni giggled and agreed. They quickly got their things together so they could meet up with the pretty Sea Team member.


	8. Chapter 8

_Happy weekend once again! Thank you to all who are reading/following/reviewing! xoxo (some familiar dialogue ahead)_

_Cubbie and Chris: No worries girl! I'll warn you ;-)_

_KathDMD: Cheesetastic! LOL...as you know...more to come *mischievous giggles*_

_JustLuck05: I'll give you a taste of the Allura/Keith/Dylan triangle right here! (and much more to come ;-) )_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. OCs belong to me..._

* * *

_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine**_

_**Chapter 8**_

"_I don't know where I'm going_

_But I don't think I'm coming home_

_I said I'll check in tomorrow_

_If I don't wake up dead_

_This is the road to ruin_

_And we're starting at the end"_

_- Fall Out Boy, "Alone Together"_

At the Castle of Lions, the tension was thick in the air - it was Saturday on Earth and the Princess had not called as per schedule. Coran stood in Castle Control with his arms crossed in front of him, while Lance leaned against the console next to a seated Sven. Hunk and Pidge stood opposite Lance and Sven, while Keith bore holes into the floor from pacing back and forth. They were all afraid to speak, worried that they may set the commander off. He was obviously upset, but lost in thought as well.

Lance leaned towards Sven and whispered, "How long do you think it'll be before he loses it?"

"I couldn't say for sure," Sven whispered back. "In all the years I have known him, I don't think I have ever seen Keith lose it, so I don't know the signs."

Lance chuckled. "That's because the only one can piss him off _that _badly is the Princess. The guy is like stone when faced with the prospect of impending doom, yet she can have him raging like a maniac in a matter of seconds."

Sven laughed at Lance's assessment.

"Got something funny you'd like to share with the rest of us, McClain?" Keith snorted.

"Oh, the almighty Thor laughs and it's _my_fault?" Lance retorted, sticking out his tongue.

"Yeah, well, there's only one troublemaker here, Lance, and it's you," Pidge pointed out.

"Watch it, Stoker. Remember, I know things." Lance pointed to his eyes and then Pidge's using his index and middle finger as if to say, 'I'm watching you'.

"Are you children done, or should I put you in a time out?" Keith cracked, agitation obvious in his voice. He continued to pace back and forth in front of the main screen in the control room, fighting the urge to start throwing things and doing whatever he could to remain calm. _I will not lose it. I will not lose it. I will not lose it. I'm going to lose it. That's it.__..s__he's dead._

"I'm _done _with this shit. Lance! Get Geni on the line NOW!" he barked.

"Ay, ay, _mon Capitan_! One Genevieve McClain, coming right up!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The room was spinning as Allura rolled around in her bed. _What the hell__? __ Crap, how much did I drink last night? On second thought, what did I __do__ last night? Oh __G__od, I don't want to know. _

She felt something on her lower back. _A bandage? __What__? Oh, right, the tattoo. Ugh! Damn you__,__ Lance__,__ and your subliminal suggestions __too__! _She buried her face in her pillow as she heard the faint sound indicating an incoming call. _Screw that, let Geni get it._

Geni was no better off. She heard the call and realized that Allura was going to make her get up and answer it. She was in no rush, though. She slowly rolled out of bed, threw her robe on, and glanced at the clock. As she began her walk to the living room, she froze as the realization hit her. She whipped her head around and looked at the clock again, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

_Fuck-shit-fuck!_

She ran out of the room and started banging on Allura's door. She was treated to the reply of, "Dammit, Geni! Go away!"

Geni ignored her and burst into the room. "Get your ass up, Allura! There's a call coming in!"

"So? Frickin' answer it already and leave me the hell alone!"

"It's _Keith_, you dumbass! We overslept and you missed the call!" Geni reminded her as she pulled the pillow out from under her head.

Allura darted up as if someone had just shocked her back to life, and then it happened: the Princess of Arus dropped the F-bomb.

"_FUCK!" _She jumped out of bed. "Go answer it and stall them while I get ready!"

"What the hell am _I _supposed to say?"

"I don't know! Think of something! Go now, before they hop a shuttle out here!" Panicked, she ran into her bathroom.

Geni ran to the vid-screen. _Oh God __o__h God oh God__... _

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at the Castle, Geni's face finally filled the screen. "What the hell took you so long, Geni?!" Lance hollered.

His yell was immediately followed by Keith's. "Where the hell is the Princess, Geni?!"

"Again with the freaking yelling. God, someone should slip you guys some Prozac in your morning coffee, geez!" she cried out, holding her ears. She could see Hunk, Pidge, and Sven chuckling in the background. Even Coran gave a slight grin.

"Stop stalling and answer the question, Gen," Lance commanded.

"Which one? I believe you guys threw a couple out at me." Geni grimaced, knowing she was _really _pushing it.

"Genevieve Elizabeth McClain, you are really…pissing…me...OFF!" Yeah, Keith was pissed.

"Relax, people, she's here. Dylan went to visit her family over the weekend so I asked if Allura could stay with me last night and go back to Club Med later today. Let's just say, we took advantage of it and partied just a _tad _too much."

She smiled in hopes of eliciting a similar response. Instead, Keith looked more annoyed.

_Is that even possible? Ugh, Allura__,__ get out here already!_

"Gen, I really don't care how much you partied. Go drag her out of bed and put her on the call right now." Keith's voice reverted to monotone.

_Uh__-__oh, this is not going to be good._ Geni nodded and moved to fetch Allura. Once in her bedroom, she yelped, "It's a tough crowd out there, Lura. I freakin' hope you're awake!"

In a raspy voice, Allura answered, "It's OK, Geni. I'm up - along with the rest of the building, I'm sure." She groaned as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hey, wait a sec." She grabbed onto Allura's shoulders and looked her in the eye before nodding her head toward the vid-screen. "I was just telling Keith and the guys that Dylan is visiting family this weekend, so you came to stay with me and we partied a little too much. It's too bad you have to go back tonight, of course."

Allura rolled her eyes as Geni dragged her in front of the vid-screen. "_That's _what you told them?" she shrieked, playing along for the sake of their image.

Sven laughed. "Smooth, Geni, real smooth. That wasn't the least bit obvious."

Geni shot him a dirty look as she moved for Allura to take her place. As she backed away, she leaned into Allura and whispered, "Good luck."

Allura waved her off, wincing. "Don't talk, Gen. Just get me some coffee and ibuprofen before I die."

She heard Lance snort. Shooting him a dirty look, she snarled, "Shut up, Lance."

Keith stared at her. There was silence, more staring, more silence...

_OK, what the hell, Keith__? O__verreact much?_

Keith stood in front of the screen, arms crossed in front of him. He squinted his eyes in agitation, quietly staring her down. Deep in thought, he tried to figure out the best way to handle the situation.

She grew tired of waiting, and she leaned back in her chair, mimicking his movements and also crossing her arms in front of her. _Screw this!_ "You know, Captain, if you keep squinting your eyes like that, they may permanently stay that way."

She heard chuckles - followed by throat-clearing - in the background.

"I'm not amused, Princess," Keith finally spoke.

"Shocking."

"Enjoying yourself, Princess?" He threw her a look.

"Quite. Isn't that obvious?" She returned the glare.

Silence. _Again_.

Coran stepped forward and took it upon himself to speak. "Princess, you have had us all terribly worried. We have had no contact with you in a week's time and have been anxiously waiting for your call. I believe that an agreement had been made - an agreement which you failed to adhere to, I might add. Is there anything that you wish to say regarding this subject?"

Allura looked from Coran, to Keith, then back to Coran. "I believe that Admiral Graham and 2nd Lieutenant McClain have already explained what happened. I see no reason to discuss the matter any further, as I have a splitting headache and I fear that this inquisition is going to make it worse."

Coran's eyes widened while Lance, Sven, Pidge, and Hunk held their breaths. Even Geni shuddered in the background as she gave Allura her coffee and ibuprofen.

Allura flung the pills back into her mouth and took a deep sip of coffee. She looked at Geni in thanks, and her roommate nodded to her.

Without warning, Keith's face relaxed. He suddenly straightened himself to his full height of 6'2'' and linked his arms behind his back.

_Full__-__on Commander Mode...uh__-__oh_, his friends thought, knowing that this situation was about to take a nosedive.

When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly calm. "While attending the Galaxy Alliance Academy, you are under GAA regulations, 2nd Lieutenant Altaire. As such, when your commanding officer - that would be me, just to remind you - tells you that you are to report to your home base at a designated time, you are to do so. Oversleeping due to reckless behavior does not excuse you from a direct order. Failure to follow orders is considered insubordination and is grounds for a court-martial. I am sure that this was explained to you at the GARA."

The group did not expect _that _response.

"_2__nd__ Lieutenant Altaire _- oh, is _that _how we're going to play this?" she snapped.

"I am not playing, Lieutenant; I am stating facts. The bottom line is that you have been conducting yourself in a manner which goes against everything that myself and Prime Minister Coran have discussed with you. Instead of showing remorse, you continue to mock our authority and show a complete lack of regard for the agreements that we have made and the orders that have been issued." His voice continued to sound calm and calculated.

Allura smirked. "With all due respect, Captain Kogane, the orders that you have implemented - as _you _call them - serve only to satisfy your personal need for control." She paused, noticing a spark of flame in Keith's eyes. This did not go unnoticed by everyone else, either.

_Check. _

She continued, "As you so graciously pointed out, I am attending the GARA and am bound to their rules and protocol while I am in attendance. In all fairness, there is no legitimate reason for me to report to _you _in addition to the commanding officers who govern me at the GARA. The agreement you mentioned was a common courtesy to satisfy your need to control everything. After all, leaving the GARA base is optional, not a requirement." She paused again, watching intently as Keith began to tense up.

Lance leaned over to Sven. "See what I mean?" he whispered. "She's got it down. He's gonna blow any minute."

Sven sighed, lowering his voice as he responded. "I see it, and I can't believe it hasn't happened yet. If it were Romelle, I would have _killed _her by now, that's for sure."

Geni walked up behind Allura as she continued to stare at Keith. "Girl," she advised in a whisper, "you're pushing it."

The princess gave a very slight smirk and went on to deliver her final blow. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, she was in a foul mood to begin with, and the last thing she wanted was to feel that she needed babysitters or to check in like a small child._ It's __my__ life and I control it!_

She moved in for the kill. "As a matter of fact, I feel there is no need for me to leave the GARA for the remainder of my stay just so that I can check in. I am sure that if there is a matter that requires my immediate attention, the Admiral will be able to get ahold of me. It has been such a pleasure to finally meet royals my age who understand my passion for flying and fighting for what I believe in. Granted, most of them are _men_, but I'll take what I can get."

Behind her, Geni sighed, hiding her face behind her hands.

In Castle Control, Coran had to sit down, and the guys braced themselves for the eruption that was bound to follow.

_Wait for it__...__wait for it__...__um, __hello__? Let's get it over with! _Lance thought for sure there would be an outpouring of sewage, but it never came. Instead, Keith remained calm.

Lance leaned over to him. "Uh, Keith, you alright?"

Keith waved him off with his hand and looked back at Allura. She had _no _idea what he had in store for her.

"I respect your opinion, Lieutenant Altaire, I truly do. However, I must remind you that you are a functioning member of the Voltron Force, and as such, you are also bound by the rules that go along with that honor. As a member, you are obligated to make contact with your home base on a regular basis. Of course, I can understand your desire to consort with those of your _station_." He sneered. "However, I will not allow your need for _royal bonding_ to interfere with the integrity of what the Force stands for. If you insist on undermining my authority as Commander of the Voltron Force by not following orders, then you are more than welcome to resign your position as pilot of Blue Lion, and I will honor your request to be left alone in the comfort of the GARA. The choice is yours; however, if you decide to disregard a direct order again, I will not give you the option. I will remove you from the Force myself."

_Checkmate._

The proverbial dropped pin could be heard. Everyone stood frozen and speechless, wondering if they heard Keith right.

Not Allura. She placed her hands on the table in front of her and slowly began to stand, never taking her eyes off Keith on the vid-screen. "You must be joking."

"No, your Highness, I'm not."

"Keith Kogane, you wouldn't _dare_." Her words were her challenge to him.

"I would, and I _will_. How we proceed is up to you, your Highness."

Allura sunk back into her chair, her brow furrowed in thought. After a moment, she looked up. "So what you're saying is that you are willing to risk the safety of both Arus _and _Pollux to prove a point. You forget, Captain Kogane, that Commander Holgersson cannot stay on my planet forever. He has a responsibility to my sister planet - after all, _he _was man enough to put a ring on the finger of the _their _princess - and the longer he stays on Arus, the more at risk Pollux becomes."

_Well played, Principesa, well played, _Lance thought proudly, though he didn't _dare _say anything aloud.

Keith ignored the jab at his heart. "You need not worry about that, Princess. I would _never _make a decision that would put Arus at risk, which is why I already have a candidate in mind should you decide to not agree to my terms." He watched for her reaction.

Lance and Sven moved in behind him with a questioning look on their faces, and Coran held his breath, hoping to God that the commander knew what he was doing. On the screen, Allura's face remained passive; she was not going to give Keith the satisfaction of knowing that she was about to lose her cool.

_Smooth move__, __Chief, _Hunk thought nervously.

"I see that you have given the matter some thought, Captain Kogane. I am curious to know who you believe could replace me." She was afraid of the answer, but again, she was so angry at Keith that she would never let on.

Geni stood behind her protectively, waiting for the inevitable fallout.

Keith moved in for his final blow. "Your replacement would be Geni's roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie. We've been hearing great things about her since you've been MIA, and I believe that she would make a fine addition to the team. After all, it has been a long time since we've had _five _highly-trained pilots for the Voltron Force."

Everyone behind him gasped. Even Geni let out a little yelp.

Allura started shaking as she leapt out of her chair. "You son of a _bitch_!" she yelled, anger coursing through her. "Did you _really _just insinuate that I am not a highly-enough trained pilot for the Voltron Force?"

Geni grabbed her from behind and frantically whispered in her ear, "He's baiting you, Lura! Calm down!"

"Tsk tsk, Princess, such foul language. Is _that _what you've been learning at the GARA?" he grinned, his eyes never leaving hers.

Geni continued to hold Allura back. "You're better than this, Lura-lu. Calm down. Think about what you're accomplishing. _Focus__.__" _She whispered the last word over and over like a mantra, trying to calm Allura.

It wasn't working.

All of her frustrations over the last week and all of her insecurities were now laid out before her; but her sense of logic was still intact. _You wanna play, Kogane? You __got__ it! _

Allura broke out of Geni's hold and composed herself. "You know what, Commander? I think that is a _brilliant _idea. Having met Dylan, I can honestly say that she would make a fine addition to your team. She can most definitely hold her own and certainly doesn't need _your_ protection. From what I know, she could easily wipe the floor with your self-righteous ass. How's _that_ for language?" She paused to raise an eyebrow. "Hopefully you can now find time to relax, as my safety is no longer of your concern. So unless there is news concerning Arus, I do not wish to be disturbed until the final competition is over. In other words, Commander, FUCK OFF!"

Abruptly, she terminated the connection.

Chaos ensued in Castle Control while Keith stood with a wicked grin on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

_Ahhh...the weekend is upon us and I hope that, whatever part of the world you may find yourselves in, it is an enjoyable one! Thank you to all those who continue to read/follow/review! xoxoxo_

_A.N. The entire scene in 'Cuvee' at the end was written into this chapter by the fantabulous KathDMD *round of applause and a 'woo hoo"!*. After I read it...I laughed so hard I felt it would be an injustice not to make it part of the story and share with all of you... Thank you KathDMD for taking GMN into a whole other level! xoxoxoxoxo_

_KathDMD: Here we go girlie!_

_JustLucky05: Thank you for the PM and for being so supportive! Yeah...the last chapter (8) was one of my favorites...although, this one comes close as well :-)_

_Smithy: Oooh now I have to read it! So curious! Yes...Keith is coming off a bit pompous...hopefully he'll redeem himself soon!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. I write for pure fun and enjoyment. All OCs (with exception of the new additions in this chapter which belong to KathDMD) are mine..._

* * *

"_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 9**_

"_She's all alone again_

_Wiping the tears from her eyes_

_Some days he feels like dying_

_Some days it's not worth trying_

_Now that they both are finding_

_She gets so sick of crying"_

_- Green Day, "Extraordinary Girl"_

"What just happened?" Pidge cried out frantically, still in shock.

"Well, I could be wrong, but I believe that our illustrious Commander has just conned the Princess into resigning from the Force," Lance replied, scratching his head.

"He can't be serious, can he? I mean, it's Allura, _our _Allura. He can't just replace her! Besides, I don't think Blue will take too kindly to someone besides Sven taking Allura's place." Hunk was just as confused and upset as everyone else.

"We're a team!" Pidge barked. "Don't we have a say?"

Coran sighed dramatically. "Gentlemen, I know it may appear as though the Commander's actions were a bit harsh; however, the Princess has been behaving irrationally ever since she arrived at the Academy. She needs to understand that she cannot act so recklessly, especially when it comes to her security." He looked at the guys intently. "The Commander and I felt that she deserved this break, and we knew how much she longed to go to the Academy. We expected nothing from her. The only thing she was asked to do was to contact the Castle on a regular basis for safety reasons. She ignored that request, knowing full well that we were left in the dark with the supposed 'threat' against royal persons. She _knew _that we were waiting for this call as confirmation from her as to what was happening."

"Coran, we get it," Sven spoke up. "She was way out of line, but I hope you realize that now we have _no _way of contacting her."

"Sven, if it were up to _me_, I would have pulled her out of the program this instant." Coran shook his head disapprovingly. "However, the Commander wants her to remain."

"That doesn't make sense - why would he want her to stay there, knowing that we'll have no way of making sure that she's safe?" Hunk asked. "You _know _that she's not gonna contact us after what just happened."

"I agree, Hunk, but I trust Keith enough to know that he would never make a decision that would endanger the Princess." The advisor crossed his arms over his chest. "We will just have to trust that he knows what he is doing."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't work for me," Lance snorted angrily. He looked over at Sven. "Let's go, Thor - you're my bodyguard, remember?" He smirked and turned to leave Control.

The Scandinavian rolled his eyes and followed.

XXXXXXXXXX

After Allura had disconnected the call, Keith made his way to his office to gather his thoughts, confident that Sven and Lance would pay him a visit at some point. He now knew for sure that Allura was up to something. He had a pretty good idea what, but was not one hundred percent certain.

He _also _knew that, aside from physically going to Earth, he would have no way to actually confirm his suspicions. Anything he could dig up would be circumstantial at best.

His concentration was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching his office. _And so it begins. _He took a deep, calming breath, as Lance barged in, as usual, with Sven in tow.

"Took you long enough," he quipped, not even bothering to look up.

Sven and Lance each took a seat in front of him. "Talk. NOW," Lance demanded.

Keith shot him a glare, but didn't argue. "This is all speculation. I have no way to prove anything right now."

"Don't care. Justify to me what just happened, 'cuz I'm about to go down there and get her myself." Lance was not joking this time.

Keith ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm pretty sure that the Princess is _not _at the GARA, nor has she been. I have confirmation that she hasn't been seen anywhere near the GAA."

Sven and Lance were shocked by this revelation. "How do you know all this?" Lance asked incredulously.

Keith looked from Lance to Sven. "I contacted Bandor a few days ago. It turns out that he's good friends with Princess Brailah, whose brother happens to be an officer in the GARA. The Prince asked around and reported back this morning that no one has heard anything about Allura being at the GARA, nor has anyone seen her."

"Shit," Sven cracked.

"Sit back and relax, boys. If you found that surprising, you're gonna _love _this."

"You mean there's _more_?" Lance threw his hands up and huffed.

"I just got off a call with Lisa before you guys walked in. It appears that she and Ginger were out partying with Dylan and Geni last night - _just_ Dylan and Geni." Keith looked up at them.

"Allura wasn't with them?" Sven questioned.

"No, she wasn't. They didn't even know that she was staying at Geni's and Dylan's place."

"Excuse me, then who the hell was Allura partying with? She was obviously hungover." Lance pointed out the obvious, visibly pissed off.

"Who knows, Lance?" Sven sighed.

"Geni and Dylan know, that's who." Keith was agitated with the whole situation.

"So whatever is going on, Geni and Dylan are involved too?" Sven repeated.

"Appears that way," Keith answered.

"Dude, where the hell is she, and what on Earth - _literally _- is she doing? And, dare I ask, with whom?" Concern was written all over Lance's face.

"Lance, believe me, if I wasn't so worried about leaving Arus unprotected, I would go down there right now and figure it out once and for all. Then I would probably strangle her with my bare hands for putting all of us through this!" Keith paused to try and regain his composure. "For now, though, we need to keep this between us. No one - and I mean NO ONE - aside from the three of us is to know what I suspect, got it?"

Both guys nodded in understanding. With nothing left to say, they stood up to leave. But before they left his office, Keith called out to Lance.

"Yeah, what?" he huffed.

"Do me a favor and call Geni when you get a chance."

"What the hell for? I'm _pissed _at her right now!"

"Please, Lance. Just check in to make sure that Allura's alright." Keith's voice was soft.

Lance nodded at him knowingly. "Alright, Bro. Will do."

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura had fallen to her knees on the carpet in front of the blank vid-screen. At first, she sobbed. Hysterically. But not over Keith - the thought of losing Blue Lion made her physically ill.

Geni knelt beside her friend and draped her arms around her. She knew it would offer her some comfort; at a time like this, it was best to trudge through the muck with as many allies as possible.

"Allura, Honey, we're gonna get through this," Geni assured her friend. "But we both have to put our bad bitch caps on and come up with some plausible explanations."

"I wasn't thinking, Gen. How can I ever put my bad bitch cap on _now_?" Allura dried her eyes and let out a small hiccup. "I don't know what came over me. I guess I…I'm just sick and tired of everyone treating me as though I can't take care of myself.

"Come on, Lura-Lu, get up and sit on the couch so we can talk."

Allura nodded, and Geni helped her up. As soon as they were seated, Geni started. "Allura, as much as I hate to say this, I understand why they're so angry."

Allura darted her gaze towards the floor.

"Look, they don't know what's going on. Sure, you and I know that you're safe, but they don't. The last thing they heard was Graham telling them that there was a threat and you had to be moved. They've had no contact with you in a week and no idea what's going on." She rubbed Allura's arm comfortingly. "Remember, these are the same guys that have been with you 24/7 for the last two and a half years. All they asked was that you make contact by a certain time, and you didn't. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds?"

Allura lifted her gaze from the floor to her hands in her lap.

"You said it yourself, Lura-Lu: Keith is a control freak. Can you _imagine _what this week has been like for him, for Coran, and for the rest of the guys? They all care about you so much! You're more than their teammate, you're their _friend_." Geni bit a hangnail. "Honestly, I blame myself just as much. Bottom line is, we should have set an alarm - _period." _

Allura thought about what Geni had said. She knew all too well that her friend was right. Coran, Keith, and the others had to be worried about what was going on, and her behavior had been completely out of line.

_This is all my fault. __I__ caused this; me and my need to prove myself__. _She brought a hand up to her aching head._ Who can think logically with a hangover__? __Ugh__! _

Then again...it didn't change the fact that Keith had intentionally baited her. _He knows me too well and I fell for it - hook, line, and sinker. Damn __it__!_

Allura was deep in thought. After a moment of quiet, she finally looked up to speak to Geni. "He suspects something, you know."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out. But what exactly _does _he suspect?"

"Well, he's not concerned about my safety, so it makes me wonder if he _hasn't _figured

our little plan out - otherwise, he would have had Coran pull me out of the program, I'm sure of it."

"No way, he can't know _everything_. Wouldn't he have just confronted you?"

Allura narrowed her eyes. Her sadness and guilt were becoming replaced by an emotion much more potent..._anger. _"No, not in front of everyone. He knows that Coran would have a stroke and insist that I return to Arus. Keith may be really pissed at me right now, but he knows how important this is to me. One thing's for sure, though - he may not have figured out the details, but he knows this all revolves around Dylan." She paused to look at Geni.

"Maybe he does, Lura, but we don't know for sure. I think we should wait it out. Besides, he has no way of proving anything, and we don't want to risk anyone else finding out. It's one thing for Keith to suspect - he's on Arus - but if anyone here finds out, we're back to square one."

"True, but you know he's got to be digging around - won't that raise red flags with the crew out here? I'm sure he's interrogated Lisa by now."

"You have a point." Geni tapped on her chin with her index finger, looking pensive. "Well then, we need to throw him off track a bit."

"How do you propose we do _that_?" Allura was afraid of the answer.

"We can start by you staying as 'Allura' when Lisa and Ginger come by tonight."

"Are you _crazy_?" Allura cried out, shocked by the suggestion. "How will we explain _that_?"

"Hear me out! We start with the story I gave Keith that Dylan is visiting family."

Allura crossed her arms in front of her. "Won't work, Gen. They were out with you and 'Dylan' last night, remember? We also told Keith that I was partying with _you_."

Geni grimaced. "Ouch. Yeah, I forgot about that." She furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thought. "Got it! OK, I have a new solution for the 'Allura' situation."

Allura rolled her eyes. "Gen, why am I afraid to hear this?"

"Oh, you're gonna _love _it! Besides, I like controversy - my last name is _McClain_, remember?" She winked, and Allura continued to look uncomfortable.

"OK, so you, Allura, have been engaging in war forever. All you have been doing for as long as you can remember is hiding and fighting. When this opportunity presented itself, you decided that it was a perfect time for you to 'run away', if you will."

Allura raised a brow. "Go on."

"You are actually staying in the city with some friends of mine who are attending the University. The average Californian doesn't know or care who you are, so with your defense skills, you are perfectly safe. Graham agreed to cover for you because of all the support and sacrifice you have given the Garrison over the years, with the understanding that you will return to the GARA the week of the competition."

Geni glanced at Allura, who looked like she was actually thinking about going along with this.

"When Lisa and Gingie get here, you will be crying hysterically, going on and on about what happened this morning. Even if Keith _did _get to Lisa first, she's going to be so pissed after she hears your 'new' story and what he did that she'll probably call and ream him a new asshole! We just have to make both of them promise not to give out the details, because _this _version would definitely have his ass out here ASAP."

Allura smiled, excited about the devious new plan, but worried at the same time. "Gen, I don't know. What's the point? If I just tell Keith the truth, he'll go along with it. I'm tired of all these games."

Geni rolled her eyes. "Why? Because it's more fun this way!"

Allura was not convinced.

"Keith obviously doesn't mind playing games with _you_. He could have easily avoided all the drama this morning by asking to speak to you privately and then confronting you with the evidence...but _nooooo_. He decided it was better to turn into the hard-ass commanding officer and scare you by threatening to take you off the Force. He _totally _played you! He knows how proud and stubborn you are and he totally baited you with Dylan - so forgive me for wanting to mess with him a bit longer on your behalf!"

Allura thought about it. _She's right. He __did__ bait me. He used my insecurities against me__,__ knowing full well that I had to have heard how good Dylan was - little __does __he know __-__ and he knew how I would react! _

She looked up at Geni and smiled. _God,_ _is she Lance's sister or what__?_ "OK, I'm in."

Geni grinned devilishly. _"Great!_ But first things first - you've got to contact the Castle and apologize to Coran. I'm sure he's worried about you."

Allura took a deep breath and nodded.

"And then get yourself ready, because after we chat with Ginger and Lisa, we're going shopping again. I think 'Dylan' needs some new clothes for the amount of bar-hopping she's gonna be doing...and a visit to St. Jimmy won't hurt, either."

Allura clasped her hands together excitedly. This really was exactly what she needed. She couldn't wait to start this next phase of her life at the GAA.

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith couldn't sleep. He got up earlier than usual and hit the gym, hoping that some Tai Chi would help him relax and focus before the team came out to join him for Lion practice. It didn't work.

Several hours had passed by in a blur, and it was almost time for lunch. Keith was trying hard to concentrate on the mounds of paperwork he had to finish, knowing very well that Nanny would give him grief if he were late yet _again_, but he just couldn't concentrate. He thought about contacting the Princess and just confronting her with his suspicions.

_Too late now_. He remembered that he had no way to contact her, and Geni was probably too mad to talk to him right now.

_Dylan__. __ I'll get __her__ to talk._

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in."

Coran stepped into the office. "Captain, I hope I am not interrupting," he began as he walked towards the desk.

Keith threw down his pen down and looked up at Allura's trusted advisor. "No, Coran, have a seat. I can't concentrate anyway. What's up?"

"I didn't get a chance to tell you that I received a rather interesting call late last night from none other than our Princess." Coran's eyes glimmered with amusement at Keith's reaction. He knew well how the Commander felt about his surrogate daughter - and vice versa - and found it quite entertaining the way they tried to ignore and hide it. _Ah, to be young again. _

"What did she have to say for herself?" Keith leaned back in his chair, slightly annoyed.

Coran closed his eyes for a brief moment, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "She wanted to apologize to me for her behavior."

"Oh, is that so?" Keith still looked annoyed. "Did she try to convince you to reinstate her?"

"No, quite the contrary; although, it would not have been my decision to make regardless." Coran paused as Keith nodded. "She simply stated that she regretted that she allowed her lapse in judgment to cause her to speak to me disrespectfully. She also stated that while she is saddened by the turn of events, she feels that it is time that she is trusted to make her own decisions, and she is hopeful that once her training is completed that we will begin to take her more seriously."

He glanced at Keith, waiting for some kind of response.

Keith's brows were furrowed in what seemed to be a combination of anger and contemplation as he looked back at Coran. "Very well, Coran. I'm glad that she had the good sense to call you and apologize. You, of all people, did not need to be on the receiving end of her anger. Thank you for letting me know." He gave a half-hearted smile.

"Of course, Commander." He stood up to leave. "I will let you get back to your work. Please do try to come to lunch in a timely manner - Nanny has been _quite _unbearable since the Princess has been out of town."

"Will do, Coran."

Once Coran was gone, Keith let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He collapsed onto his desk, resting his cheek against a stack of papers and closing his eyes.

The silence was broken by a beep that could only indicate an incoming call on the vid-screen. Keith answered it, and the screen filled with the face of a very angry Lisa.

"Lis?"

"Can it, Kogane! Ginger and I just saw Allura at Geni's. What the FUCK did you do?" she yelled.

Keith rolled his eyes, sighed, and slammed his head down on his desk, putting his hands behind his head. _This is going to be a long day. _

xKxAxTxHxDxMxDx

"So, where are we going tonight?" Allura asked, smoothing back her dark hair. "You said it's not the usual place."

"No, it's not The Hangar, it's a champagne bar called Cuvee," Geni replied. "Remember how I told you to get all decked out tonight? Yeah, there was a reason for it."

Allura and Geni had certainly glammed themselves up for the night. Allura wore a sultry dress, a curve-hugging confection of many different shades of blue, with new shoes from St. Jimmy - strappy anthracite lamé glitter platforms with a four-and-a-half-inch heel. Geni was no slouch herself, dressing in a strapless, pale sky-blue leather minidress. She wore her own St. Jimmy shoes on her feet, black suede peep-toed sandals with a rhinestone strap and a five-inch heel. They both looked amazing, and Allura was surprised at how good her dress looked against her new hair color.

"Yes, but you never told me _what _the reason was."

"Oops. It must've slipped my mind." Geni shot her a wicked grin, trying not to stumble in her too-high heels. "Well, you remember our boy Liam, right?"

"How could I forget?" Allura rolled her eyes.

"Well, the rest of his teammates - the ones under his command on the _Infinity _- are throwing their Commander Lochlan a birthday party. Liam invited the whole lot of us to come along." She smirked.

"Wow, he must have no friends if he invited _us_."

"Yeah, well...when you're a womanizer as bad as he is, your social status sorta declines." Geni threw an arm out to hail a cab, and they were both grateful when one stopped right in front of them. "Oh, thank God. There was no way I could walk to Cuvee in these heels. They are _so _hot, but they're not the easiest to walk in."

"And they won't be the easiest for Cliff to resist, either," Allura teased.

Geni rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up."

The rest of the ride was quiet, and Geni tipped the driver generously before stepping out onto the pavement in front of Cuvee. It was not a huge space; it was obvious that Liam's crew must have rented out the entire lounge for the night. As they attempted to enter through the front door, the bouncer stopped them. "If you're not on the list, you can't go in."

"Sure," Allura told him. "Dylan MacKenzie and Genevieve McClain."

The bouncer looked over his list. Nodding, he crossed their names off. "You may go in, ladies."

Geni winked at Allura and linked her arm through her roommate's. "Come, my darling. Destiny - and Liam's shitty party - await."

"Great." Allura made a face.

The inside of the lounge was stunning. It was dimly-lit, with low leather banquettes in shades of purple and ivory, flanked by glass-topped tables. There were candles and vases filled with purple flowers everywhere, and a wall that was entirely devoted to housing vast amounts of champagne bottles. "Wow, this is _gorgeous_!" Geni cried out, looking around at the crowd that had assembled for Liam's birthday. "What a great place to throw a party!"

"You're telling me." Lisa tapped Geni on the shoulder. "I'm glad you and Dylan made it, Gen. Tell me, is Allura OK?"

"She is. She's back with my friends at USF. I made sure to tell them to treat her extra-nice - I mean, you saw how she was earlier."

"I did." Lisa's dark eyes narrowed. "I already called up Keith to tell him off. I hated seeing Allura like that. He had no right in booting her off the Force."

At the mention of Keith's name, Allura looked up and over at Lisa. The Sea Team member looked stunning, dressed in an entirely appropriate purple sequined racerback minidress and glittery smoky-colored pumps. "I hope he's pissed at himself, Lis. He _never _should have said what he did."

_Poor Allura must be hurting terribly. _"Keith was way out of line," she agreed, smacking her boyfriend in response.

"Hey!" Jeff cried out, rubbing his arm. "What did _I _do?"

"You roomed with that bastard at the Academy."

"You've gotta be kidding me. I deserved a smack for _that_?"

"You've deserved a smack for less than that."

Jeff shook his head. "I can't win."

"That's right, you can't." Ginger smacked his other arm before planting a kiss on his cheek. Her dress - a strapless champagne-colored confection of chiffon and studs - was accessorized only by her strappy red patent leather heels. "Not with us around, anyway. So, _why _aren't you winning again?"

"Gingie, how drunk are you?" Jeff's eyes fixed on the martini glass in his fellow Air Team pilot's hand. It was empty. "And why are you drinking something other than champagne at a champagne bar?"

"Martinis get me drunk much faster than bubbly."

"Good God. I hope you're not trying to close the deal with the birthday boy. You've already been down that road..._remember?"_

She shrugged. "Hey, there's a reason you guys nicknamed me _Martini._"

Geni, Allura, and Lisa all laughed.

"Come on, Dylan, I think we need a drink." Geni grabbed Allura's hand and dragged her over to the bar. "I don't care if it's Liam's birthday - if anything, I need a drink _because _it's his birthday. So I don't slap him across the face when he hits me with one of his cheesy pick-up lines."

Allura laughed. "True enough. What do you want to order?"

"This is a champagne bar. We're gonna order champagne, duh. The real stuff from France, not the knock-offs from Cali."

"Your call."

Geni ordered two glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne, slapping down enough cash to cover the bill plus tip. She handed one glass to her roommate, then clinked their glasses together. "Cheers, Baby," she offered, taking a long guzzle of the bubbly drink.

As Allura was taking a sip, she saw..._him._

With his dark hair, tall frame, lean build, and piercing eyes, he reminded her of Keith. Dressed in well-fitting charcoal-grey pants and a white button-down shirt, he oozed a casual sexiness that made Allura break out in goosebumps. Even better, he was standing between Cliff and Liam, sipping from a martini glass and laughing along with his two superiors.

"Geni, who is _that_?" she hissed.

Geni looked over her shoulder, her eyes darting over to where Allura's gaze had landed. She smiled. "Wow, girl, you've certainly got good taste in guys. _That _would be Lieutenant Commander Italo Luciano of the S.S. Infinity." Another wicked grin came over her face. "Come on. Let's go wish Liam a happy birthday."

"Wait...what...?"

Downing her drink and placing the empty glass on the bar, Geni dragged Allura over to where Liam, Cliff and Italo were talking. The princess paled as her roommate situated her between Liam and Italo, then positioned herself between the birthday boy and Cliff.

"Well! There you are, Loves." Liam's face momentarily brightened. "Have you come to wish me a happy birthday?"

"Amongst other things." Geni coughed, commanding Italo's attention. "Lieutenant Commander Luciano, have you met my roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie?" She raised an eyebrow mischievously.

Amusement glimmered in his dark eyes. "Not yet, 2nd Lieutenant McClain," he answered, glancing over Allura in her tight bandage dress. "I'd offer to buy you a drink, 2nd Lieutenant MacKenzie, but it seems you already have one."

The words were hardly out of his mouth before Geni grabbed the nearly-full champagne flute out of Allura's hands. "What drink? I don't see that she has a drink." She sipped from the stolen glass.

Cliff rolled his eyes. "Smooth, Geni. _Real _smooth."

Italo actually threw back his head and laughed. "No, I suppose I don't see one, either," he acceded. He finished the little contents left in his martini glass in one swallow. "Well, 2nd Lieutenant MacKenzie, I see that we're both in need of a new drink." He held out his elbow for her to take. "Care to join me?"

"I'd love to." Allura took his arm and allowed him to escort her to the bar.

"Careful, Tony," Liam called out jokingly to his second-in-command. "That one's spunky!"

"We _like _spunky," Italo retorted.

Everyone within earshot laughed, Allura included. Surprisingly, she felt very comfortable hanging off the lieutenant commander's arm. She was still so angry with Keith that she didn't mind being fawned over by another good-looking guy. "What would you like, Dylan?" he asked as they rested against the bar. "I'm Tony, by the way."

"Tony. I thought your name was Italo?"

"It is. I'm Italian...can you tell?" He grinned, showing off perfectly white teeth. "But everyone calls me Tony."

"I see that the S.S. Infinity has a multiethnic crew."

"It does indeed." He ordered another vodka martini for himself - "Made with Cîroc, thank you" - and looked over his shoulder. "What would you like, Dylan? Another Veuve Clicquot?"

"Please."

The bartender mixed the martini and poured the champagne, and Italo paid for their drinks. "Cheers, Dylan," he toasted, clinking their glasses together. "To chance encounters and new friendships."

"Cheers, Tony." She sipped from her glass, and the bubbles made her feel light-headed. Or maybe it was Italo. He was cute, he was charming, and best of all, he didn't have Liam's poor taste in pick-up lines.

Looking over at him, she knew she could never feel for him what she felt for Keith. But then again...she was still so angry with the captain of the Voltron Force that it would serve him right if she flirted with someone who found her attractive. _Forget him for now...I just want to have fun tonight._


	10. Chapter 10

_Happy Weekend! Thank You everyone for continuing on with GMN by reading/following/reviewing! Big cyber-hugs to you all!_

_A.N. Last part of this chapter (Coffee shop scene) was written in by my editor...the Fabulous KathDMD (will indicate as in last chapter :-) )_

_Drowningblonde: If Allura doesn't want him...I'll be glad to take him ;-) Yes...trouble indeed!_

_KathDMD: I noticed...but...then again...I love Ciroc *giggle hiccup* You can tamper any time... I want everyone to enjoy this story and Italo was too good to ignore!_

_JustLucky05: We all hope! Yes...Geni loves controversy...for sure! Things are going to get very messy..._

_Smithy: Sounds fun...will have to look into it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OCs (with exception of Italo) belong to me..._

* * *

"_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 10**_

"_With every breath that I am worth_

_Here on Earth_

_I'm sending all my love to you_

_So if you dare to second guess_

_You can rest assure_

_That all my love's for you_

_My beating heart belongs to you_

_I walked for miles 'til I found you_

_I'm here to honor you_

_If I lose everything in the fire_

_I'm sending all my love to you"_

_- Green Day, "Last Night on Earth"_

Over the next month, things on Arus were uneventful for the most part. Lotor attacked earlier than expected, which worked to Arus' benefit. The Drule prince was not at full capacity yet, which allowed the Voltron Force to inflict even more damage on his already compromised armada. According to Pidge's calculations, it would take him at least another three months to replenish the minimum amount of resources required for another attack- and, aside from some bruises and a concussion, there were no major injuries sustained by the Force or the Arusian ground support.

On Earth, a stubborn Allura stuck to her promise of not contacting them, which had some of the team members frustrated; however, Lance was able to get some information out of Geni regarding her well-being. He would pass any news he did acquire along, but it was never good enough for the Voltron commander.

Whenever he had a moment, Keith tried to snoop around with Jeff's help, as Lisa was too pissed at him. Although he was confident that Allura was safe, he still wasn't sure exactly what was going on. He _was _sure, however, that Dylan was at the center of it. He was going to have to try to contact her one way or another, but he hadn't had much time to focus on it, as his priority was rebuilding the damage caused by the last attack. Now that they were caught up, he could start focusing on the plan once more.

_Allura_.

He missed her - _really _missed her. He hadn't realized just how much a part of him she was until she was gone. He longed to see her smile, hear her laugh, and gaze into those azure eyes that had captivated him from the beginning, much more than he wanted to admit.

She had the ability to drive him mad, but he didn't want it any other way. He was in love with her.

_Allura's right, this is ridiculous. Maybe we can make this work__...__if__ she ever talks to me again._

XXXXXXXXXX

Things were significantly looking up for Allura. As Dylan, she had managed to be given the lead position on the Alliance's elite fighter team: the Black Panthers. She was able to take Geni as her second, along with three others - 2nd Lieutenants Jason Carter and Harold Mitchel, and Tech Sergeant Ryan Perry. All in all, they made a very good team.

She was lucky that her teammates respected her. They were not the least bit intimidated by the fact that she was a woman. Better still, they had no problem following her orders, and it showed. The Black Panther team was favored to win the competition, which would serve to make them _all _look good.

The training she had received from Keith and the others really showed. She was considered by all to be a brilliant strategist and soldier, and the higher-ups were impressed by her discipline and motivation. She was exceptional, for sure...as was Genevieve McClain.

Geni flourished under Allura's command. While on duty, Allura knew exactly what to do to keep her friend focused and on track. Geni deserved to lead her own team, and Allura was determined to help her achieve that goal. After all, _someone _would need to lead the Panthers after she returned to Arus. Of course, that was not to say that they did not pull their pranks and have their fun; they just didn't get caught.

Thanks to Allura's intervention, Cliff and Geni had grown closer as well. After spending so much time with them - and, more to the point, acting as Geni's date whenever she went out with Allura and Italo - it was obvious that Cliff really cared about her more than just as protecting 'Lance's little sister'. Ever the good 'wingwoman', Allura was able to help them take the next step. They decided that they should wait a while to tell Lance - maybe when he and Keith came for the ceremony.

She and Liam had come to an understanding as well, especially after the night she broke his nose at The Hangar when he kissed her after she had a bit too much to drink. What made it worse was that she had been on a date with Italo when it happened - "For Pete's sake, Lochlan, I'm here with your freakin' second-in-command!" She would tolerate him flirting with her every once in a while; however, if he ever tried anything more than that again, she would do so much more damage.

He took advantage of the agreement on a regular basis, insisting that, deep down, she really wanted him and was just using Italo to get to him - _W__hatever__,__ dude! _She hated to admit it, but she found Liam to be a lot of fun. Insufferable, perhaps, but fun nonetheless.

Despite all the good times she was having and all the accomplishments that she had made, Allura felt empty. She missed her boys and she _really _missed Keith. It bothered her that he had just given up and let her go. He wasn't even trying anymore, hadn't called Lisa or Geni in four weeks.

She was having a great time with Italo, but she found herself constantly dreaming about Keith being the one beside her on dates and holding her hand. She wished Keith was kissing her, loving her, never letting her go. She missed him - _really _missed him.

One afternoon, after returning to the apartment from a training session with Harold, she found herself questioning whether she had pushed Keith too far. Could his feelings for her have changed?

_I called him a son of a bitch and told him to __fuck __off__. H__ell, __if I were him,__ I'd be pissed for sure! _

She sighed out her frustration as she walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water. On her way to the refrigerator, she noticed a package with a note on the table.

_Lura-Lu, I got a package from Lance today and this was in there for you._

_I'll be back soon!_

_- __Geni_

Allura opened up the package to find a music player pre-loaded with obviously hand-picked classic rock songs from a different era on Earth. It was a guilty pleasure; she _loved _rock music, as did the boys. The note attached was simple:

_I know you're upset__. I__ am __too,_

_but I still miss you regardless._

_You're always in my thoughts,_

_the first thing I think of in the morning_

_and the last thing I think of at night._

_Track 7 is for you__._

She sat down in the chair by the window, put her headphones on, and skipped to track 7. She held the music player against her chest, smiled, and then closed her eyes. Tears welled up behind her eyelids.

Five weeks. She had been there for five weeks. _Only five more to go…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Another week had passed. After dinner, Keith headed out to the castle gardens to relax. He sat on the bench that was so often occupied by the beautiful blonde monarch. He smiled to himself, remembering how many times he had followed her out there, making sure she was safe.

_Now what? _

He knew that Allura was furious with him for putting her in a corner and using Dylan's success to bait her. _Maybe it's time I made good on my threat. Maybe that will force her to open up to me and tell me what's been going on. _

He glanced at his watch. It was around 0415 on Earth - and he remembered Geni saying that MacKenzie always got up early to run. Standing up from the bench, he left the garden and headed back to his office.

As he turned down the hall, he noticed that he had visitors waiting for him in front of his door. He rolled his eyes as he approached them.

"Seriously, guys, do you have _nothing _better to do than stalk me?" Keith's irritation was evident in his voice.

"Nah, annoying you has always been at the top of my list of fun things to do." Lance playfully slapped his friend on the back.

Growling, Keith turned to Sven. "What's _your _excuse?"

Sven shot him a dirty look. "Consider it payback for tearing me away from my fiancée."

Keith rolled his eyes at both of them again and walked into his office - Sven and Lance in tow. He sat at his desk as Sven and Lance sat in the chairs across from him. "So, any new developments concerning our fantabulously stubborn Princess?" Lance smirked.

"No, but I have a plan," Keith informed them.

"And that plan would be...?" Sven prodded.

"I'm going to have a little talk with Lieutenant MacKenzie about her future." Keith shot them a dazzling grin.

"Ah, you mean what you told Allura about giving her the position of Blue Lion's pilot," Sven remarked.

"And _how _exactly is that going to help, oh brilliant one?" Lance snorted.

Keith glared at him. "Easy, Lance. I'm sure that the Princess thought I was bullshitting about offering MacKenzie the position. If I actually offer MacKenzie the position..."

"You'll piss Allura off enough where she may contact us to retaliate. Got it," Lance cut him off. "One problem, though."

"And what's that?"

"Have you ever _talked_ to MacKenzie?"

"No, not for lack of trying." Keith sighed in frustration.

Lance threw back his head and laughed. "Good luck with that, man! She is one tough hottie, that's for sure. _I _can't even charm her, and you guys know how charming I can be." He wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Yes, Lance, we are all too familiar with your effect on women," Sven reminded him sarcastically.

"What can I say, boys? It's a gift." Lance laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

Sven groaned.

"Lance, she's Geni's roommate. Did it ever dawn on you that your sister may have warned her about how you operate?" Keith asked, desperately trying not to laugh in his face.

"Hey, hasn't stopped me before! Nah, _this _girl, she means business, man."

Sven smirked. "Don't take it personally, Lance. We all saw her. She's quite attractive, so she's probably bombarded by guys like you every day. Hell, didn't Jeff say that Liam was there?"

He paused as Keith clenched his jaw and nodded.

"Heh, can you imagine what she gets from _him_? She is obviously in it to win it and wants to be taken seriously, and is sick of flyboys like us - er, _you_- trying to kiss up to her." He finished with a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there, Mr. Soon-to-be-off-the-market," Lance smirked.

Sven threw him a dirty look. "Shut up, McClain! I love Romelle with everything in me. Don't mock me just because _you _were rejected."

Lance opened his mouth to respond, but Keith interrupted. "Alright, guys, enough! If you want to continue, then do it somewhere else, because I have a call to make."

Both guys dropped the subject and moved on to the next topic. "So, how do you know she'll even answer?" Lance pressed. "Even if Vievi _does _pick up, she won't give you the time of day. She's still REALLY pissed."

"_She_ won't pick up. It's like 0430 there, and if she's anything like her brother, she'll be out cold," Keith smirked.

Sven snorted in laughter.

"_But_ I remember her telling us that MacKenzie is a stickler for getting up early to go for a run. I'll catch Dylan for sure."

"Always so observant, _Mon Capitan_," Lance sulked, annoyed by his friend's previous dig.

"Well, someone's got to be." Keith glared at his friends. "Now, both of you, keep your mouths shut or get out."

They rolled their eyes and nodded in agreement.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura was tearing the apartment apart. _Where the hell did she put my music player? Ugh! I'm gonna __kill__ you__,__ Geni! _As she flung the couch pillows around, she heard the vid-screen beeping, indicating an incoming call.

_Great, it's probably Lance. _She leaned over to answer it before turning back to continue looking for her music player. "What do you want now, Lance?" she asked without looking to see who it was.

That was when she heard a soft laugh and _his_ voice. "I'm not Lance. Nice tat, by the way. It's a love knot, isn't it?"

She froze. _Oh God! Now what__? __ Be cool, just be cool. No need to panic. You're leading the Black Panthers__,__ for __G__od's sake __- __you can certainly deal with this! _

After taking a calming breath, she decided to acknowledge him while still looking for her music player. "Yes. It is. Kudos on your stellar observation skills." She continued her search as if he wasn't there.

He let out a snort at her abrupt response. "I'm assuming that, based on your attire - or, should I say, _lack thereof _- that you're heading for your run."

She was grateful that she wasn't facing him, because she was sure she was blushing. "I am, as a matter of fact, and Geni's sleeping, so what do you want?" she snapped.

"Do you _always _divulge this much information without even asking who is on the line?"

Allura put her funky glasses on and decided to face the music. There was always a chance that he wouldn't realize it was her, after all - she hadn't spoken to him in over a month. She just wouldn't get too close to the vid-screen. With that in mind, she spun around.

There she was, face to face with the man that had occupied her dreams for the last two and a half years, wearing her hip-hugging yoga pants and black cut-off sports tank.

It was more than obvious that he was checking her out. _Oh yeah, she works out__,__ al__l __right_.

From behind her glasses, Allura narrowed her eyes. "OK, smartass. Who are you? All better now?"

As soon as he heard her, he came back to reality. "Yes, much better. I'm Keith, Geni's other brother, sort of."

"_Lance_ is Geni's brother." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not stupid."

"Yeah, well, I grew up with Lance and Geni, so she sees me like a big brother as well. Anyway, I didn't call to talk about my family tree."

"I see." She paused. "Keith, huh?" She acted as though some sort of profound realization had hit her. "Ah, yes, Captain Keith Kogane, the man who has single-handedly managed to piss off all of my friends. Well, like I said, Geni is sleeping and I have a run that's calling my name, so..."

Keith interrupted her. "I didn't call to talk to _Geni_, Lieutenant. I called to talk to _you_." He noticed the surprised expression on her face. "Why don't you have a seat?"

She stood there and stared at him. _W__hat __game is__ he playing __now__? _ "I don't know about you, Keith Kogane, but I don't like people interfering with my workout."

He mirrored her position by crossing his own arms in front of him as he leaned back in his chair. "I promise not to take up too much of your time. Shocking as this may sound, Lieutenant, I am quite familiar with the concept of working out." He grinned.

She looked him up and down for show. "I can tell."

He looked at her with a raised brow as she sat down on a chair that was not directly in front of the screen. He continued to stare at her, looking as though he was deep in thought. _Oh __G__od, I know that look - here it comes_...

Instead of the explosion she was expecting, he smiled. "Lieutenant MacKenzie -"

"_Dylan__,__" _Allura interrupted.

"OK, _Dylan_. You are one difficult woman to track down. I have been trying to get ahold of you for weeks. If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were avoiding me." Keith grinned, now realizing just how valid his statement really was.

"Why would you be looking for _me_, exactly?" She was curious as to where this was heading.

"I've heard great things about you, Dylan. Rumor has it, you may be giving some of my team members a run for their money. I find this very..._intriguing_." He offered a sweet smile.

_Oh my __G__od, where is this coming from? Is he trying to flirt with me? _She raised her brow. "Are you saying that you find me _intriguing_, Captain Kogane?"

"Amongst other things," he replied with a bit of a wicked grin. He didn't break eye contact.

_Oh my __G__od, he __is__ flirting with me, I mean __with __Dylan, I mean...what the hell! It's all good, just play the game, you can do it._

Allura smiled. "Very well, you have me now. What do you want with me, _Captain?_" She shifted in her chair so that her body appeared to be draped over it seductively.

Keith didn't flinch and continued to grin at her. _Interesting development_. _Definitely unexpected, but could prove to be quite fun. _"Why don't we save _that _for a different conversation?"

He noticed the brief look of shock in her face before it quickly evaporated. "I would, however, like to discuss a possible position for you here on Arus once you've completed the competition - and by _position_, I mean an actual _job_, Lieutenant."

_Who is this guy and what has he done __with __Keith__? __ Did he seriously just insinuate...oh my! _"And exactly what, pray tell, does this..._position_...involve, _Sir_?" she smirked devilishly.

He actually chuckled, which sent her heart racing. "The details are classified for now, but you and I would be working closely together. I might even let you work out with me, if you think you can handle it," he winked. _Yeah, this is definitely fun_.

_For the love of __G__od and all that is holy and pure! I'm going to __kill__ him! Stay calm, Allura. Relax…you're Dylan…_

"You? Oh, Captain, I can _definitely _handle you." She waved him off with a flip of her hand, then leaned forward and looked at him intensely. "The question is, can you handle _me_? I have a reputation for my endurance and stamina, you know. I can go for hours." She paused as she noticed Keith's eyes darkening at her comment, lightly licking his lips as his mouth went dry. Then, for good measure, she added, "Just ask _Liam_...he couldn't last more than twenty minutes doing my workout."

She smiled wickedly.

Keith grimaced imperceptibly at the mention of Liam's name. _He's a dead man! _ He then gave her an irresistible, smoldering look. "Well, Dylan, in case you haven't noticed, I am not Liam." He, too, slowly leaned forward. Now it was his turn to notice the effect he had on her.

She spoke, almost breathlessly, in a deep, seductive voice. "No. No, you most definitely are _not_."

Allura felt like she was going to faint. She couldn't stop staring at his lips, imagining herself devouring them. _Why has he never flirted like this with __me__ before? My __G__od__,__ I would have absolutely__... _She forced herself to snap out of it - _fast_.

She gave him a coy smile. "You know, Captain, we can go on like this all day...not that I mind." She paused to look at him knowingly. "But I really do need to head out or else I'll never finish my routine before I need to report to base."

He laughed. "Understood. All joking aside, MacKenzie, please consider what I said."

She looked at him somberly. "I will think about it."

"Good. We'll talk again soon, I hope - _unless _you avoid me again."

"I wasn't avoiding you, Kogane. You just weren't trying hard enough." She winked.

"Goodbye, _Dylan_. Enjoy your run."

"Goodbye, Kogane."

Once he cut the connection and the screen went black, Allura sat up and leaned over the table in complete and utter shock. She remained in that position until she heard a voice behind her.

"I bet you need a cold shower after that one. _Gee__z__! _It's getting _hot _in here!" Geni pretended to fan herself.

"Gen, how long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, I heard the whole thing, Lovey." A silly grin was plastered to her face. "I _told _you Keith could flirt."

"Why? Why is he flirting with Dylan? Is he that pissed off at me? After he sent me that song, I thought things were alright. Shit, Gen! What am I going to do?" Allura was almost frantic, but Geni was laughing hysterically. "And why is it that you can't get your ass out of bed at 0430 any _other _day? Dammit! This _isn't _funny, Gen!"

"Like hell it isn't! He's two-timing you with _you_! HA!" She laughed to the point where tears were forming. Allura started throwing things at her - pillows, couch cushions, anything she could find. That only made her laugh harder.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back on Arus, Keith smiled broadly as he thought about the conversation he'd just had with _Dylan_. That was it. He'd figured it out. No one needed to know, and he was sure she'd eventually realize that he was in on the stunt she'd pulled.

She was safe and it was time for him to have a little fun. He could finally be free to say things and act like he always wanted to with her, but couldn't. This would benefit both of them. _Who would have thought that she could flirt like that? _ _Brilliant. She is __b__rilliant__! __A__nd that __t__attoo...is it... __real__? Damn! _He laughed at himself. _Now I can finally relax. _

He was about to head to his room to take a much-needed cold shower, forgetting that Lance and Sven had been in the office with him throughout the entire conversation. He wiped the silly grin off his face and went into full-on commander mode quickly. He looked up to see Lance and Sven staring at him strangely.

"Um, Keith, what the hell was _that_?" Lance asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"What was _what_?" Keith played dumb.

"You were flirting, actually _flirting_!" Lance cried out, dumbfounded.

"And she was definitely flirting back with him, that's for sure!" Sven teased.

"You guys don't know what you're talking about." Keith attempted to walk away.

"Cut the bullshit, Mr. And-by-position-I-mean-an-actual-job, you know _damn _well what you were doing! I can't believe it!" Lance continued.

Keith glared at him in response. "So what if I was? Who cares? Or are you just pissed off that she actually preferred to flirt with _me _and not _you_?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're a jerk, you know that? I couldn't care less if she flirts with you, or even wants you for that matter - hell, it's no secret that most Academy girls dig Mr. Unattainable-Number-One!" Lance threw his arms in the air.

"Then what's the problem?"

"YOU are!"

"Why the hell do you care if I flirt with her?" Keith snarled.

Lance looked over at Sven. "Allura," he answered simply.

Keith's brows furrowed as he looked back at them. "What _about _Allura?" he asked with an expressionless look on his face.

"I thought you, you know, cared about her...a _lot_." Lance rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Of course I care about the Princess. What does that have anything to do with it?" Keith acted nonchalant.

"Come on, Keith. We're not stupid. We know how you feel about Allura. Play this game with someone else." Sven was annoyed by Keith's obvious attempt to throw them off.

Keith sighed. "Look, I'm not confirming or denying what you're saying." He paused as his friends rolled their eyes at him. "It doesn't matter - we wouldn't be able to be together anyway, there's too much at stake."

"Oh, get off it, Keith! That's all bull and you know it!" Lance snorted.

"Actually, Lance, it _isn't_!" Now Keith was pissed. "Did it ever occur to you that I'm just a tad bit human? That maybe I need a break from being 'the fearless one', as you love to call me? That maybe flirting with Dylan can help to get my mind off something that can never be so that it doesn't eat me alive? So _what_? You're the one who's always telling me to loosen up - well, there you go! You just witnessed it!"

Lance and Sven stared back at him, shocked.

"I'm not a player like you, Lance. I have no intention of leading anyone on. I'm just…_tired_. That's all." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

There was so much truth in what he'd just said. She was _there_ and he was _here_. He could be free with her, the way he longed to be with her, in a way that was just not possible on Arus.

Lance approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Keith, I'm sorry, brother, really. I had no idea. I guess it would get to me too." He put his arm down. "Look, man, flirt away. I'm the _last _one to judge. Besides, you never know. I hate to say it, but you guys have a lot in common. It's like you and Dylan were trained by the same person - freaky, really."

Keith actually chuckled. _Huh, you have __no__ idea. _"Don't worry, it's all good. I'm sorry I yelled. I guess I just need a break from reality every once in a while - shh, don't tell anyone."

Sven grinned, but continued to look at Keith, unconvinced. He knew his friend better than anyone. Even though Keith and Lance had grown up together, the Scandinavian was more in tune with how Keith thought and operated. He could only hope that his friend would fix things before they became past the point of repair.

xKxAxTxHxDxMxD

Her conversation with Keith had weighed on her all day. In the end, she found herself fuming. _I can't believe he would flirt that blatantly with Dylan. He's in love with __me__, for crying out loud! He should __not__ be flirting with Dylan, even if she __is__ me!_

Allura was so aggravated that she'd forgotten all about the music player and Track 7. _Talk about your mixed signals - he's sending some for sure! _Making her way back into the apartment, she plopped down on the couch. She heard the shower running in the bathroom, and waited for Geni to be done so that they could talk.

When the water turned off, she heard giggling...but not just of the female variety. Allura was sure that she heard _two _voices in the bathroom. Suddenly, she was overcome with embarrassment - _Geni and Cliff! Oh my God, they showered together, and now they're probably gonna...EEP! I've gotta get out of here, __quick__! _She grabbed her phone and dashed out of the apartment, forgetting to lock the door behind her.

Once she was down on the street, Allura headed for a coffee shop. As she sat down at a table on the sidewalk, she felt unbelievably lonely. Knowing that what she was about to do was just a quick fix and not an actual cure, she dialled Italo's number.

"_Ciao, Bella," _he answered with an exaggerated Italian accent. "What's going on?"

"Hi, Tony," she greeted him. "I was just sitting down at the coffee shop by my apartment building. What are you up to?"

She could _hear _his sultry grin over the phone. "Well, isn't that a coincidence. I just got out of the gym, so I'm in your neighborhood. I'll be there in less than two minutes."

"Great." She held off on ordering until Italo could join her.

While she waited, she was wracked with confusion. She was using Italo and she knew it. She didn't love him, she was in love with Keith. She had feelings for Keith Kogane that were so overwhelming that they consumed her. But then again, right now he had her guts twisted in confusion and despair.

She thought that Italo was cute and funny and easy to spend time with. He didn't make her feel sick or tortured; he didn't send her mixed signals. In a straight-up black-and-white universe, Italo Luciano had it all over Keith Kogane in terms of boyfriend material.

But this wasn't a straight-up black-and-white universe.

"Ah. There you are." Italo plopped down onto the chair across from her, and Allura couldn't help but marvel at how attractive he was, even straight from the gym. His dark-olive skin glistened with sweat, his sable hair was slicked back, and his sleeveless shirt showed off his powerful, muscular arms. "You look gorgeous."

"And you look good right from the gym. You could give a girl a complex." She blushed slightly, trying to push all of her thoughts of Keith to the back burner.

"So why are you here and not in your apartment?"

In the few weeks he had known her, Italo _got _her. He seemed to understand that she made every move for a reason. "Do you really wanna hear? It might scar you for life."

He grinned mischievously. "Oh, in that case, I most _definitely _have to hear it."

"I heard Geni and Cliff in the shower together."

"Oh my _God_!" Italo shrieked like a Catholic schoolgirl. "Are you _serious_? Oh, no wonder you ran out of that apartment like a bat out of hell." He covered his mouth with his hands.

"Yeah. That was pretty much my same reaction."

Italo shrugged. "Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. I mean, Geni is a pretty girl, and from what you've told me, she's had a crush on Cliff forever. I can't say I blame either of them." He flagged down a waitress to order a black coffee, and Allura decided on an iced coffee with skim milk. "But man, that must have made you _super _uncomfortable."

"It sure did."

As they waited for their coffees, Italo cleared his throat. "So, what are you doing this weekend, Dylan?"

She shrugged. "Just the usual, I suppose. Why? What do you have in mind?" She grinned. "It doesn't have anything to do with teasing Geni and Cliff, does it? Because I will absolutely _die_ of mortification."

He shook his head, and for the first time since they met, he looked nervous. "I made dinner reservations for the two of us at Acquerello for Saturday night. Have you heard of it before?"

Allura gasped. Acquerello was _the _most romantic Italian restaurant - and also one of the priciest - in all of San Francisco. Reservations were next to impossible to obtain, which could only mean that Italo had pulled some major strings to get them in. Which meant that he was most likely expecting to close the deal with her afterwards.

"I'll take that as a yes." He accepted his coffee from the waitress, and Allura merely blinked. "Well, Dylan? Are you free for Saturday night?" Rolling his eyes, he added, "_Please _don't make me take Liam."

She giggled, and finally relaxed enough to take a sip of her iced coffee. "That's a yes, Tony. I'd love to go to Acquerello with you. But _don't _be expecting to get into my panties. After all, I'm not Genevieve McClain."

"And that's my favorite part about you. It's refreshing to meet a girl who knows who she is and what she stands for." Italo's eyes flashed with amusement, and he glanced down to check his watch. "Well, if I know anything about Clifford Jack, it's that he _can't _have lasted this long. I think it's safe for you to go back to your apartment."

"I hope so." She stood up, clutching her coffee in her hand. Then, with a wink, she added, "Because I need to go through my closet to see what I should wear for our date on Saturday night."

"Sounds like a plan." He plunked some cash down on the table for their drinks, then stood up. "So then, I'll pick you up on Saturday, Dylan. See you then."

She thought he was going to move in for a goodbye peck on her cheek, but he didn't. Instead, he tenderly planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth, which seemed almost _more _intimate than kissing her directly on the lips. The area tingled, and in shock, she raised her fingers to touch it.

Allura watched as the handsome lieutenant commander strode down the street without a glance back. _Uh-oh, now I'm in trouble. _She was conflicted; she was in love with Keith, but he had done nothing but try to hurt her today by flirting with Dylan and then offering up the Blue Lion pilot position. Italo was sweet and thoughtful and..._God, how are his lips that soft?_

She couldn't help but feel guilty as she walked back to her apartment.


	11. Chapter 11

_Happy Saturday! Hello everyone...thank you to all who read/review/follow! Will indicate the enticing KatDMD's addition at the end as in last chaper...enjoy!_

_Cubbie and Chris: Yes...you read it right :-) He loves her more than she realizes..._

_bluebaby1219: Oh yes!and, believe me, he will make it a point to let her know that...for sure! There will be more flirty Keith as well...can't help it ;-)_

_KathDMD: I know...laughed out loud as I wrote it...so something Lance would say! Believe it or not...that was one of my fav chapters...I like writing a laid-back and fun Keith every once and a while *giggles mischievously* Ahh Italo...I will gladly take him off Allura's hands when she's done with him. It's true...he is so not a bad guy!_

_JustLucky05: Ahh...the chaos! Fuel is about to get added to the simmering flame...and Keith doesn't even know about Italo...yet! *gulp* Naive she is not- however, our Allura still has much to learn about relationships and men..._

_Smithy: Bring on the testosterone! Ah yeas...Lance finding out about Cliff and Geni...that will be a fun one indeed! *wink*_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. OCs (with the exception of Italo, and OCs from KathDMD's stories) are mine!_

* * *

"_**Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 11**_

It was like watching a scene from the old movie _Top Gun_. The Black Panther squadron, led by the newly-appointed _1__st _Lieutenant MacKenzie, took to the skies in preparation for the final competition set to take place in three weeks. They had already gone through every flight maneuver on and off the books in perfect formation, and were now attempting to do the same with combat maneuvers and strategical formations.

MacKenzie and McClain had even developed a few new tactics of their own, just to spice things up. Not that they were trying to show off, of course.

Jeff and Liam were watching them from the ground alongside Cliff, whose turn it was to run flight training sessions that week. "They are looking _real _good out there, mate," Liam offered, thoroughly impressed.

"Ridgey didge, Liam. A little _too _good, if you ask me." There was a look of suspicion on Cliff's face as he glanced at Jeff. The Air Team captain caught the expression and gave a somewhat similar one in return.

Liam laughed. "What's the matter, Cliffie? Afraid your woman might show you up?" He slugged his friend in the shoulder.

Cliff shot him a dirty look in reply.

"What is it, man?" Jeff inquired.

"Buggered if I know, Jeff. It's just…well…what do you know about MacKenzie, really?"

Jeff shrugged. "I know as much as you do, we all got the same file. Why?"

"Well, she's never seen combat."

Liam's curiosity was now piqued. "So what? Most of them haven't seen combat yet."

"Exactly, mate. The fact that Dylan's flight maneuvers are so dead-on is not surprising - I mean, look at Geni's - but her combat formation and strategy are even better," Cliff pointed out. "How can someone who has never seen combat be so comfortable issuing orders? You heard her on the comms. It was like she'd been doing it for years."

Liam looked from Cliff to Jeff, noticing that they had the same expressions on their faces. "Why are you two so bothered by this? Her parents were both military - she's probably been training for years. You've all experienced how focused and determined she is. Bloody hell, she's almost as dedicated as Kogane was -"

Cliff cut Liam off. "Crikey, Moses! _That's _who she reminds me of!"

"Clifford Jack, you are one chop short of a barbie if Dylan reminds you of Kogane," his fellow Aussie smirked.

Realization hit Jeff. "Not _Dylan_, you idiot - her _combat maneuvers_." He looked at Cliff, who nodded in agreement. "Come to think of it, her hand-to-hand and ground tactics use similar strategy as well."

"Aw, dribble shit! You guys have lost it!" Liam threw them both an incredulous look. "While you guys sit out here and overanalyze the obvious, I'm going to grab a bite." He turned and headed back inside, leaving them behind.

By this time, the Panthers had landed and exited their ships and were walking toward the two officers. Allura saluted, and her teammates followed suit. "Lieutenant Commander Jack, is there anything else you have planned for us, or are we dismissed?"

Cliff looked at her intensely for a moment, then glanced at Geni. She gave him quizzical, yet slightly annoyed, look. "That's all for today, Lieutenant MacKenzie," he answered. "Impeccable job, as always. You and your team are dismissed."

Satisfied, the Black Panthers nodded and left. Geni's gaze lingered slightly before she, too, turned and followed the others.

Once alone, Cliff looked at Jeff. "Bugger me dead!" he whispered. "Jeffrey, I think we need to make a call to Arus."

Jeff nodded in agreement. "Yes. Yes, I think we do."

XXXXXXXXXX

Cliff sent a message to Keith that he and Jeff needed to speak to him privately. They knew that, due to the time difference, it would be a while before he would contact them. In the meantime, they gathered video surveillance and satellite images of that morning's Panther flight practice.

As they finished discussing how to approach the subject, Jeff's comm indicated that he had received a text message. "Keith says to call him in the castle conference room extension 624 in five."

"All set, mate," Cliff replied. He had no idea of what was exactly about to go down, but he knew that he and Jeff had to man up and face it. Besides, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. _Yeah, right, _the Land Team captain thought to himself. _This is Kogane we're talking about. He won't find any of this amusing. _

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith walked towards the conference room with Lance and Sven right behind him. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of not including Hunk and Pidge; however, he was not sure as to what Jeff and Cliff wanted. If the entire Force had been behind closed doors, it would definitely raise some red flags; however, it was a known fact that Keith, Lance, and Sven had been friends almost all their lives - no one ever questioned it when the three of them were alone.

All would be over soon, and he would explain everything at that time. He knew that Hunk and Pidge would understand the need for discretion.

The three friends entered the conference room, and Keith entered the codes to lock the door.

"Any idea what this is about?" Sven asked.

"It had better be something about Allura, because if Geni stole another aircraft, I'm gonna kick her fucking ass," Lance huffed. Sven and Keith chuckled in response.

"I'm not sure, guys, but it looks like we're about to find out." Keith watched as the big screen in the room came to life, indicating an incoming call. He acknowledged and the screen filled with the images of Cliff and Jeff.

The men all exchanged their usual greetings.

"So, Kogane, a little birdie tells me that you've been chatting away with our sexy new super-star fly-girl," Cliff began with a wink.

Keith grinned. He had been chatting with _Dylan_ over the last week - if one could call it that. Their conversations consisted mainly of various levels of heated flirtation and innuendo that brought upon many cold showers, to say the least. He was even more surprised to find how uninhibited she had become with him, and he was enjoying it - a lot.

"I take that as a yes, Casanova?" Cliff laughed as Sven and Lance smirked in the background.

"You guys said it was urgent? Surely you didn't call us to a private meeting to discuss my phone conversations with Lieutenant MacKenzie." Keith crossed his arms in front of him.

"You're no fun, mate, you know that?" Cliff smiled while Keith looked annoyed. "All right, all _right_! Don't get your jocks all up in a bundle!" He paused to raise an eyebrow. "Although this _does _concern the illustrious Dylan."

Keith, Lance, and Sven all looked curious. "How so?" Lance asked.

"You know, I think that it might be a brilliant idea for you guys to be here for the actual competition. I am sure it will be ground-breaking, indeed." Cliff as he looked over at Jeff knowingly.

"Why don't you boys have a seat." Jeff motioned for them to sit. "We need your expert opinion on something we witnessed today."

Keith, Lance, and Sven sat down at their conference table. "OK, you've got our attention," Keith began. If he was concerned or worried, it sure as hell didn't show.

"We're going to show you the video from this morning's Black Panther flight exercises," Cliff told them. "What you are about to see is the team practicing the flight maneuvers that they will need to complete for the upcoming competition, followed by an open overview of all combat maneuvers, uniquely studied by this team in particular, in preparation for the flight combat portion of the competition. Although we're going to show you the entire thing, we want you to focus on the combat section."

"Then why don't you just skip to combat?" Lance snorted.

"Because it's worth it, you wanker! They're _that_ good - and Vievi's one of them!" Cliff snarled at his longtime friend.

Keith and Sven looked at each other, then at Cliff, with raised brows.

Lance squinted at him. _"Vievi? _Since when do you refer to my sister as _Vievi_?" He was a tad annoyed at Cliff for using _his_ personal nickname for _his_ little sister.

"Really, mate? You're gonna get your knickers all up in a bunch because I called your little sister 'Vievi'? Glad to see that your priorities are still right on track."

Jeff buried his face in his hands.

"OK, _fine. _I get it. So go ahead and play it! _Gee__z__!"_ Lance snapped.

Keith nodded to Jeff, who started the video without further words.

Keith, Lance, and Sven watched with their mouths wide open. They were thoroughly impressed with what they saw. Every now and again they would hear "Damn!", "Holy Shit!", or other expletives.

When the video was finished, Cliff and Jeff looked upon their friends in the Castle conference room. Lance was elated, Sven was pleasantly surprised, and Keith was sporting a wicked, immensely proud grin on his face. That was what Jeff and Cliff both noticed.

Before they could say anything, Lance opened his mouth up. "What the hell was that? They were _awesome_! Go Geni! Woo hoo!" He was beyond ecstatic by the whole scene.

Then Sven spoke up. "It truly _was _incredible; however, I know what you guys are thinking - where the hell did Dylan learn combat maneuvers like that?"

Lance thought about it. "Man! That _was_ impressive. Hell, _we_ use most of those maneuvers in combat and the ones that we don't use, we definitely should."

"She definitely knows her shit. Right, Kogane?" Cliff smirked.

Keith continued to stare at them, wearing that proud, confident grin. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and he looked excited enough to burst.

Jeff looked at him slyly. "So, old buddy, old pal, old roommate of mine...how long have you known?"

Keith didn't answer, but he sure as hell laughed.

"Know _what_?" Lance whipped his head around to look over at Keith, who still stood there with the same wicked grin on his face. "Yo! Bro! What are they talking about?"

Sven, who had been in deep thought up until that point, began to stare at Keith.

Lance was quickly becoming irritated. _"Keith! _ Answer me, dammit!"

Keith turned his gaze to look at him, but refused to answer the question.

"Easy, mate!" Cliff cried out. "We were just curious as to how long ago he figured out that Dylan MacKenzie is your very own Princess Allura."

He smiled wildly as Lance's and Sven's heads whipped around to face Keith. They each looked completely and utterly shocked. Keith took a deep breath, but the grin was still there.

"Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?" Lance yelled as he pulled at his hair. The Red Lion pilot was flooded with a myriad of emotions: shock, disbelief, embarrassment at the comments and innuendos he made to her, not realizing who she was.

"Huh, I should've guessed," Sven noted, tilting his head. He was disappointed in himself that he, too, hadn't figured it out sooner. "Knowing how you feel about Allura even before _you_ realized it, I should have known that you would never flirt with another woman like that." He shook his head back and forth.

"_You?"_ Lance glared at Sven. "I can't believe that _I _fell for that lame-ass excuse." He paused to dart a nasty look at Keith. "You smug little bastard! Even though I said I understood, I wanted to pound the shit out of you! How could you keep this from me?"

"For your information, it was not an excuse - you and I can discuss the details of _that _later." Keith glared at Lance. "As far as how long I've known, well, I had my suspicions for a while. You've all known that I had a feeling that something was up almost from the beginning."

They all nodded in agreement, including Cliff and Jeff, who were still on the screen.

"Well, I actually started putting two-and-two together while I was talking to Geni that first time the Princess was supposed to check in and didn't. While Geni was talking, I started thinking about how Dylan's name seemed to come up way too often, how she appeared out of nowhere at the exact moment the Princess got transferred. So I decided to test out my theory." Keith leaned back in his chair.

"And then you suggested that you could replace Allura with MacKenzie," Sven added matter-of-factly.

Keith smirked. "Yeah, and that's when I knew that everything revolved around Dylan. Her Royal Highness forgets how well I can read her - like a damn book." He paused for a moment and glanced over them before clearing his throat. "Anyway, after talking to Lisa, I pretty much knew but it wasn't until I actually spoke to _Dylan_ that I confirmed it for sure. No question - _that_ was Allura." He smiled confidently.

"Dude, doesn't it bother you in the least bit that the Princess thinks that you are into Dylan big time?" Jeff asked. "Better yet, what was she planning to do once you 'found out'?" He emphasized his point by making air quotes with his fingers.

Before Keith could respond, Cliff jumped in. "Aw, she'll be right, mate! Besides, she's been using the Fearless One to drive Liam completely mad!" he laughed.

Keith grimaced and ground his teeth before he snarled out, "Keep…Liam…_away _from her." He stared at his two friends on the screen with a look that made it clear he was very serious, while pointing a finger from one to the other. Sven and Lance held in their laughter.

Jeff chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it, man. She can definitely hold her own against Liam. If anything, you should be _loving _it."

"I'm not seeing the humor," Keith spat out dryly.

"Are you kidding! Keith, man, this past week has been fab! Every time she mentions a conversation with you, Liam's head looks like it's going to blow. I mean, just how much can a koala bear?" Cliff clutched his chest and winked, laughing whole-heartedly while thinking about Liam.

Jeff, Lance, and Sven joined in. "Now _that _I'd love to see," Lance smiled.

"Oh man, you don't know the _half _of it!" Jeff cracked up. "Although, he _has_ gotten more persistent."

"_I _don't know what is more disturbing: the Princess taking on Liam, or you comparing him to a koala," Sven joked.

"Eh, no worries - she'll just beat the shit out of him..._again_...which is just as much fun to watch." Cliff was still laughing. Sven and Lance had joined in; however, Keith was still not in the least bit amused.

Lance was curious. "What do you mean by 'again'?"

"Oh man, it was bloody _crazy_! We had all gone to the club one night celebrating something or another, what was it?" Cliff paused in thought.

"It was when the Brass confirmed that Dylan would lead the Panthers with Geni as her second," Jeff reminded him.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Needless to say, the girls were piss-ass drunk, so Liam decided to make a move on Dylan. Ha! She was out there dancing with the girls and that crazy bastard just waltzed right up to her, spun her around, pulled her against him and planted one on her - good one too." Cliff laughed as he recounted the memory.

Lance and Sven went wide-eyed as Keith stood back, clenching his fists, jaw twitching, blood boiling, breathing heavily, ready to completely lose it. _Three...two...one..._

"Jeff! How the _fuck _did you let that happen? I _told _you to watch out for her!" Keith shook as he yelled at his friend.

"Hey, kiss off, Keith! We had no idea she was Allura, remember?" Jeff yelled back.

Keith stared at him and tried to relax. He felt like a complete jerk. _What's __wrong__ with me? _He was so consumed with anger at the thought of Liam touching the Princess - _his _Princess - that he'd forgotten that Jeff and Cliff didn't know who Dylan really was at the time. _He kissed her? He actually had the audacity to kiss __my__ Princess?_

"Shit, man! Do you honestly think that if we'd known, we would have let him go anywhere near her?" Jeff continued, pissed and insulted.

Keith looked at his longtime friend apologetically. "Sorry, man. You're right. I wasn't thinking."

Jeff nodded in acceptance.

"It's all good, mates. Besides, you didn't let me get to the best part," Cliff smirked.

"And that would be?" Sven goaded him.

"Simple. She kneed him in the balls, gave him a mean right hook, and then - WHAM! Punched him in the face with her left hand. Broke his bloody nose and knocked him on his ass." Cliff laughed hard as he recalled the scene.

"That's my girl!" Lance beamed.

Keith's grin showed that he was more than satisfied as well.

"Yeah, that's not to mention all those expletives she shouted out at him. She has _quite _a mouth on her when she's angry," Jeff added, eyes wide.

"Well, she certainly learned from the best." Sven inclined his head toward Lance.

"Damn straight!" Lance gloated.

Jeff decided to bring the conversation back to the point. "All joking aside - Keith, what do you want us to do now?"

"Nothing," Keith replied bluntly.

Lance threw him a look. _"Nothing?_ What do you mean, _nothing_?"

Keith glanced at Lance and Sven before turning his gaze on Jeff and Cliff. "I don't want you guys to let on that you've figured this out. This is too important to Allura. I'm afraid that, if she realizes that we all know what's going on, it will affect her performance. She has worked too hard to have it all go to hell now."

Jeff and Cliff nodded in understanding, as did Lance and Sven.

"The second that competition is over, we will let her know - but not a moment before that, got it?"

"Understood, mate. Mum's the word." Cliff nodded.

"And that includes not letting anyone else know as well." Keith looked back at them solemnly.

"You got it, Bro," Jeff assured him. "We'll keep it between us. No one else needs to know."

Keith nodded.

"Oh, and Keith - don't worry. Now that we know, we'll keep an eye on her...not that she needs it."

"Thanks, guys. I know I can count on you, but...go on like you have been. I don't want her to get suspicious. And you're right, she has definitely proven that she can take care of herself."

"You got it, my friend...on all counts," Jeff agreed.

"Aye aye, Captain. " Cliff saluted with a smile as he cut the connection.

Keith sighed as he turned to look at Lance and Sven. They were both standing and glaring at him, arms crossed in front of their chests.

"_What?" _he asked sheepishly. _Oh boy, here it comes…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Eerily quiet, Cliff and Jeff both walked down the hallway back to their respective rooms. They weren't sure what to say - after all, Keith was _their_ friend, too. They knew him well enough to know that he was hiding something serious about Princess Allura.

"He's in love with her." Jeff broke the silence.

Cliff nodded. "It's obvious, mate. He's bloody well in love with Allura and he's too much of a wanker to say it."

"I wouldn't say _wanker_. More like cautious." Jeff's big, dark eyes looked sad for a moment before growing even wider. "Oh, _shit_!"

"Now what? I don't think I've got any more fight left in me after what we just went through."

"We told the guys all about the night Allura broke Liam's nose, and you saw how Keith reacted. But you know what? We forgot one very important detail, and if Kogane ever finds out, we're all as good as dead. Allura included."

Cliff rolled his eyes. "_What_, mate?"

"That night at the bar. Don't you remember? Dylan - er, _Allura_ - brought a date."

The Land Team captain mulled it over for a moment. "That's right, she did," he remitted. "Liam's second-in-command, right? What's his name - Italo Luciano?"

Jeff nodded. " I don't know how serious it is, but I'm pretty damn sure that they're still seeing each other. And if Keith ever found that out, like I said before, we're all as good as dead."

Cliff placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll find out for sure, mate. I'll ask Vievi how Dylan's relationship with Italo is going, and we'll work from there. I know that Keith said we weren't supposed to let on that we know that Allura and Dylan are the same person, but I'm pretty sure that if we _don't _get involved, things are going to get ugly."

"Agreed. Where do you suppose we start? How are we gonna get involved without getting involved?"

"I don't know yet, Mate. I don't know."


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello again! I am so glad that you are all enjoying this! Thank you to all who continue to read/follow/review...and special thanks to my fantabulous editor and partner in crime KathDMD ;-) last part after 'xxxxxx' brought to you by KathDMD xoxoxo_

_KathDMD: Hmmmmmm...I wonder? LOL_

_Cubbie and Chris: Uhhh...well...*clears throat* Let's just say...it will be ...fun :-)_

_JustLucky05: Yes...I can assure you, Keith is not going to let Allura off too easy *wink* promise...this will be fun..._

_Smithy: There will be a bit of Jeff and Lisa coming soon...promise ;-)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters...OCs (with exception of Italo and a few of KathDMD's OCs) are mine!_

* * *

_**"Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 12**_

Pidge and Hunk were still working on upgrades to the Lions, so Keith, Lance, and Sven had moved their little gathering to the rec room. Keith sat back in one of the over-stuffed chairs and ran a hand through his hair, preparing himself for the inquisition.

"Explain yourself, Kogane - before I permanently drop you from 'best friend' status." Lance huffed, while Sven sat with a blank look on his face.

"I don't know what you want from me, Lance."

Lance glanced at Sven while he pointed his thumb at Keith. "Can you _believe _this guy?" he snarled before turning his gaze back to Keith. "Now, Captain Dumbass, I want to know why, exactly, you found it necessary to keep this little suspicion of yours a secret - _especially _since you knew how pissed off I was about you flirting with Dylan!"

"_Seriously?__" _Keith retorted. "You've suddenly become so self-righteous that it _bothered_ you that I was flirting with someone? Hmpf! That's rich."

Lance narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Screw you, Keith! I know who _I _am, it's _you _that I don't know!"

Keith dropped his gaze momentarily.

"Hell, Keith, since when do you play these kind of mind games? Yeah, I flirt like hell, but I certainly don't lead the girls on, and I'm always ready to follow through. What about _you_?"

"I'm _not _playing games, Lance. I would _never _do anything to hurt Allura." He looked Lance straight in the eye.

"Oh, _really_? So, you don't think it bothers her in the least bit to see you flirting with 'Dylan' the way you are? Man, you _know _how she feels about you!"

"And what the hell would _you_ know about it?"

"In case you didn't notice, oh infallible one, Allura and I have always been close. I'm the only one who's always treated her like 'one of the guys'. She trusts me and she's confided in me a lot over the last couple of years. So yeah, I know how she feels - how she's felt for a long time - certainly way before _you _figured it out."

"That's not saying much, Lance. We _all _figured it out before he did. Brilliant military strategist, but oblivious as shit in the women department," Sven added with a smirk.

Keith glared at them both. He then looked at Lance and began to answer the many questions now on the table. "First of all, I am _not _flirting with 'Dylan'. I am flirting with _Allura_, and if she's bothered by it, she sure as hell hasn't shown it, 'cuz she's been laying it on pretty thick…I guess I should thank _you_ for her mastering the skill of innuendoes." He nodded his head towards Lance.

Sven cracked up at the jab.

"Besides," Keith continued, "I'm sure she knows."

Lance shot him a look. "Knows _what_, exactly?"

"That I know she's Dylan."

"You're really _that _confident that she knows that you know? Yeah…_not!"_ Lance snickered.

Keith threw him a look. "I'm sure that she knows that I know!"

Sven grinned. "This is starting to sound ridiculous. I'm getting rid of the both of you and finding new friends."

Keith laughed. "Good luck with that, Thor."

Sven punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"_Ow!_ Anyway, If she doesn't by now, I can assure you she'll figure it out soon. After all, like you said, I am behaving _way _out of character. The Princess would have expected me to confront her, at least in private. Under normal circumstances, she'd be right, I would have." He smiled as he rubbed his shoulder.

"What makes these circumstances so different?" Sven asked.

Keith sat back in his chair again. He closed his eyes as though gathering his thoughts. When he opened them, he leaned forward a bit, resting his forearms on his knees and interlocking his fingers. He looked up at his friends, who were now looking at him as though he'd lost his mind. "Privacy really goes out the window with you two, doesn't it?"

"And we wouldn't have it any other way," Lance quipped.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Things changed after the last time we rescued Allura." He _hated _talking about his personal life, and his two best friends knew it. "After we took off, I put Black on auto so I could tend to the Princess. That's when I saw what that bastard did to her." He looked down, his jaw twitching at the memory. "He had roughed her up good. But she just sucked it all in like it was nothing, even joked about doing some damage to him as well - that is, before _I _got ahold of him. I saw it, though. In her eyes, I saw the hurt, the fear, and the relief that she was now safe and away from him. He had come too close this time. She didn't say it but I saw it in her eyes, and it killed me." He paused as he recounted the story. "I couldn't take it. I wanted to make it all go away. I wanted her to know that I would always come for her, that I would protect her, and that I would do anything and everything I could to make sure that she didn't suffer. I was overwhelmed, and I don't know why, but I told her that I...loved her." He exhaled heavily. "And then I kissed her."

His friends were enthralled by this new information. "What did she do?" Sven asked.

"She kissed me back. And she told me she loved me too, that she always has."

"So then what's the big deal?" Lance shot out. "Why aren't you two together?"

Sven answered before Keith could. "Pfftt, that's easy. He went all honor- and duty-bound 'Commander' on her, for sure." He crossed his arms in front of him again.

"You dumbass! What the hell did you do?" Lance snarled.

"My _job_, you jerk!" Keith hissed.

"Your _job_? You love her and she loves you! Dude, seriously, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, MAN?" By now, Lance was ranting like a maniac.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Her safety comes first, Lance! I need to be able to keep my mind clear in order to protect her. We are in the middle of a war, and there's too much is at stake right now. Did you ever think about what might happen if Lotor found out? What he would do to her? How he would use it?" He stood up and leaned against the window, defeated.

"God knows he already hates you. This would be the icing on the cake. He would make it his personal mission to see you dead," Sven replied bluntly.

"I don't care what he does to me! I just don't want him to hurt her, and he would definitely use _her_ to get to _me. _ I love her. If something were to happen to her because of me, I would never be able to live with myself." His voice was thick with angst as he stared out the window once more.

"So that's it? You just put aside your feelings? Put a pin in what is the best thing that has ever happened to you on a 'what if'? You're _crazy_! Shit, if Allura felt that way about _me_, I would do anything to be with her - fuck Lotor!" Lance hollered.

Keith turned his gaze at him. He was about to speak when Lance continued, "You guys could keep it a secret until things cool down. Lotor would never know. Hell, I could even help you guys out. Your way is just pure stupidity and I can bet Allura agrees with ME!" The Red Lion pilot pointed at himself animatedly.

Keith stared at him blankly.

Sven chuckled. "Judging from the look on his, face I would take it as a 'yes', Lance."

"You were right, Sven - the guy's oblivious. No, actually, he's _beyond_ oblivious. He's in his own 'Keith-iverse' where nothing makes sense to the rest of us." Lance threw his hands up in the air before looking at Keith again. "How can you do it, man? How can you just _not _be with her?"

"I can't," Keith sighed as his friends looked at him. "I thought I could, but after she left, I found myself constantly replaying what happened between us - all the things that were said. All I want to do is be with her, hold her, never let her go. I kept telling myself that giving in would cloud my judgment. She was right - I _was _kidding myself. I would worry about her just the same, regardless. Of course, there's the whole 'princess' issue to consider." He looked morose.

"Oh come on, you're not afraid of Coran and Nanny, are you?" Lance teased. "Hell would freeze over before Allura would allow them to come between you."

"It's not that, Lance. It's not acceptance that I'm worried about - I know that neither Coran nor the citizens of Arus would have an issue with it. I just don't want to deal with them, or all the pomp and circumstance right now. You know how popular the Princess is as far as news and media is concerned, and you know damn well how private I am. Shit, they would never leave us alone." He shook his head sadly. "Bottom line, it would be a long time before we could just be 'normal', you know, just two people having fun, flirting, dating, and getting to know each other on a deeper level...but we couldn't have that."

Sven understood immediately. "But you _could _have that with 'Dylan'. After all, she's just a pilot like you."

Keith let out a somewhat relieved sigh. "Yes. Yes, I can," he agreed, feeling a bit self-conscious...but not enough to hide the wicked little grin that was beginning to form.

Lance shrugged in understanding, but still had some unanswered questions. "You know, I can buy that. It makes sense. What _doesn't _make sense, however, is why you couldn't tell us about Dylan and Allura being one and the same."

"Gee, Lance, how _dare _I want to enjoy this for myself, at least for a little while." Keith crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "Besides, I still can't believe that _you_, the person who claims to be her closest friend and confidante, didn't realize it on your own."

Lance shot him a dirty look, which quickly morphed into a sly grin. "I don't know, I guess it was watching her prance around with those killer abs glaring at me, or maybe the sexy tramp stamp threw me off. Forgive me, Commander Strangelove, but I _certainly_ had no interest in looking at her eyes."

Sven came up behind him and whacked him upside the head.

"Hey! What the hell!" Lance flinched.

"Shut up, Lance!" Keith warned.

"Hey, you started it! We're not _all_ in love with her, you know. Do we now think she's one of the hottest babes we've ever seen? Absolutely! I mean, we all knew she was beautiful, but _damn_! Who knew the Princess was hiding that hot body under all those skirts? You lucky bastard!" Lance slapped Keith on the back in a congratulatory way.

Keith glared at him. "I _will_ kill you, you know. I don't _need_ a weapon. And I won't even leave a mark," he growled in his infamous monotone.

"Oh, I am fully aware of your Jedi-like qualities, oh wise one."

Sven laughed at the exchange before changing the subject. "So, Keith, what happens now? Where do you go from this point?"

Keith flopped back down into the chair and sighed. "Honestly? I don't know. I have to say, I'm a bit disturbed by the fact that she hasn't yet hinted that she realizes that I know what's going on."

"Why's that?" Lance asked.

"I told her that I love her, Lance. She knows that my feelings won't ever change, but…" He cringed. "Does she _really _think that I'm the type of guy that would just go around, well, being like, I don't know, like YOU?"

"Keith, she's trying to keep her cover going. Besides, she probably feels like you - wanting to enjoy this side of you, having this 'relationship' with that you otherwise wouldn't be able to have," Sven offered. "In all honesty, I think that the only reason she _hasn't _lost it is because she's too busy having fun with you to realize that you are, in essence, two-timing her. Either that, or she's enjoying it as much as she can now, so she can hit you over the head with it later - that's what Romelle would do." Sven finished with a shrug and a wink.

"That's great, Sven. I feel so much better after that insightful explanation," Keith cracked sarcastically.

Lance laughed as Sven added, "Any time, _broder, _any time!" and patted Keith's back.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So what are you gonna wear on Saturday?" Geni, who had busted into Allura's room and plopped herself onto the bed, stared at her roommate as she went through the items in her closet. "Girl, you have got to put on something _hot_! Do you know how hard it is to get reservations there? Italo must've pulled some serious strings." She sighed. "Man, I wish Cliff had enough connections to get _us _a reservation there."

With a nervous exhale, Allura stepped away from her closet and shut the door. "I don't know, Gen. I'm having second thoughts."

"Um, _hello_! This is _Acquerello _we're talking about here, not Jimmy's Shake Shack! What's to have second thoughts about?"

"Oh, nothing. I just feel like I'm leading him on, that's all." Allura sat down on the bed next to Geni and laid back, closing her eyes in frustration. "I like Italo, Geni, I really do. But I don't love him, and I'm never going to love him. I love Keith, remember?"

"Yeah. You're in love with my dumbass brother." Geni sat up on the bed and stared Allura down. "Let's not forget here, Lura-lu, that your darling has been flirting with _Dylan _for quite some time now. I say, it's not like you're shamelessly flirting with Italo in front of Keith's face. Who's a nice dinner gonna hurt?"

The princess gritted her teeth. "_Italo_, Gen. _That's _who it's gonna hurt."

"Oh." Geni's face fell. "You think he really likes you that much? Huh." She shrugged. "I figured that it was just an ego boost on his part - you know, being seen by everyone _and_ his commander with the hot Dylan on his arm."

"No, it's more than that. I think that he genuinely likes me. And I will never feel for him what I feel for Keith. I'll never feel about Italo the way he feels about me."

"Ooh, tough one." Geni chewed on a hangnail for a moment. "But still, Keith's been horrible to you. Bossing you around, taking the Blue Lion away from you, flirting with 'Dylan'...you know, I think you _should _still go to Acquerello with Italo. It'd give Kogane something to think about."

"I don't know, Gen."

"Aw, don't be such a wuss. Go on the date. Let me know how the food is." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, you'll be on the date with Italo. He's not like Liam - he won't try to get into your panties afterwards."

"No, he won't."

"Go. Back to your closet." Geni waved Allura off. "Pick out something hot. I mean, geez, you're going to Acquerello! I promise that Cliff and I will make good use of the apartment while you're there."

Allura made a face. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that."

Geni laughed. "Oh, just go pick out a dress already, would you?"

"Ugh. _Fine." _With a pout, Allura stood up and stepped back towards her closet, throwing open the doors once again in an attempt to find the perfect outfit for her Saturday night date. She needed something that would look good, but not _too _good. She didn't want to give Italo the wrong idea. But if Keith somehow got the wrong idea...well, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, after all.


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the weekend! Once again...big 'Thank yous' to all who continue to read/follow/review/PM!_

_A.N. Chapter 14 may not post for another 2 weeks. My fantabulous editor is on a well deserved vacay and we still need to tweak the 'Italo-Allura' date. Because of this, I will post an additional Chapter of 'Madness' next weekend and an additional chapter of 'Whatsername' the following week to compensate..._

_WarzonePrez: Thank you! I hope you like where it's heading! :-)_

_Cubbie and Chris: Ah my dear...always a calm before the storm...but...love conquers all ;-)_

_KathDMD: Bella mia! I can't wait either! Hope you're having fun in OZ! xoxoxoxo_

_JustLucky05: Yes...there will be many fireworks down the line, indeed LOL!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or it's characters. OCs (aside from Italo and appearances from KathDMD OCs) belong to me..._

* * *

**_"Give Me Novocaine"_**

**_Chapter 13_**

"Alright Panthers, listen up. Until now, you have been running through air and space ops of this competition. It is now time for ground ops. The second half of the competition is broken into three phases, so pay attention, because I'm only going to say this once." Jeff paused for emphasis. "Phase One will focus on hand-to-hand, although you will have access to lasers. Phase Two will focus on your ability to handle automatic and laser-based weapons, mainly guns. You will also have the use of other types of ammo, including explosives and explosive devices. Finally, Phase Three will focus on your abilities to use martial arts, as well as the weapons associated with them. No other weapons will be allowed. Any questions thus far?"

He paused to allow the team to ask him any questions. They had none.

"Good. Out of the five of you, only three will move on to the ground ops. Those three will be chosen based on the flight op scores. From there, those three will then be given a mission to complete. The mission will take you through all three phases. You must work as a team and coordinate your strategy and tactical plans. The ultimate goal is to complete the mission thoroughly and as quickly as possible. This is not a race against each other. If all three of you complete the mission, all three of you will be scored as such, though I should tell you that this has never happened in Academy history."

He watched them as they nodded. "In fact, while many of us have managed to make it to Phase Three, the only two cadets who have ever managed to complete the mission in the last fifteen years were Commander Sven Holgersson and Captain Keith Kogane, Kogane beating Holgersson by less than fifteen minutes, making him the highest scorer in Academy history."

Jeff caught Allura's eye-roll before she snapped back to attention. "Permission to speak, Sir," she requested.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant MacKenzie."

"What is the determining factor for advancement between the three phases of the mission? How do we know if we have accomplished enough to proceed?" she asked, wanting to make sure that her team had full understanding of what was required of them.

"Good question, MacKenzie. I forgot to mention that this mission will be live, in all senses of the word." Jeff noted the way that Tech Sergeant Perry's and 2nd Lieutenant Mitchel's eyes went wide.

"We're using _live _ammo?" Perry repeated in disbelief.

Jeff chuckled at the Tech Sergeant's pale face. "Yes, it's live ammo, but it will not be set to full capacity. In other words, you can definitely be wounded, but not fatally. Now, Phase Three is a completely different story. You'll be dealing with throwing knives, shuriken, katanas, and other weapons found in the arts. Those are all legit and, _yes_, you can get seriously injured. If you make it to Phase Three and realize that it may be too much to handle, I highly suggest you put up your best fight but know when to surrender." He shook his head gravely. "This is as close to a real mission as you're going to get. Believe me, it is intense. If you can complete a phase without substantial injury, then you get to move on. In other words, minor cuts and bruises are OK, anything worse than that and you're eliminated."

"If you don't mind me asking, Commander Aki, how far did you get?" Geni asked.

"It's alright, McClain, I don't mind. We had a lot of tied scores in my class. Because of this, we did not compete in ground ops as flight teams. The Brass took the top six scorers and split us into two teams of three. Team Black was Kogane, McClain, and Lochlan. I was on Team Red with Holgersson and Jack. Holgersson and I made it to Phase Three, but I took a beating once I got there - too many swords at once. Finally, after being injured and trying for nearly ten minutes to fight them off, I decided to cut my losses and surrender."

Jeff looked at the Panthers once more. A myriad of emotions played out on their faces. Dylan looked confident, Geni looked excited, Carter looked cocky, Mitchel looked hesitant, and Perry looked mortified. He laughed within himself, thinking back to how nervous he had felt at the time...but once that adrenaline had kicked in, it was such a rush.

"Alright then, Panthers. You have two weeks left before the competition. Today we will focus on Phase One. Gear up and let's get a move on!"

The team saluted and went off to begin.

XXXXXXXXXX

Geni fell onto the couch as Cliff sat next to her and rubbed her feet. "Every muscle in my body _hurts_, dammit!" she whined to her boyfriend...and anyone else who would listen. "What the hell is Jeff's problem? Is Lisa not giving him any?"

Cliff laughed. "Easy, Vievi. Jeffie's just trying to make sure you're ready, that's all." Cliff winked at her as Allura came into the room.

"You wouldn't be in so much pain if you had worked out with me the last two months like I told you." Allura glared at her.

Geni squinted and pointed at her. "You're _nuts_, you know that? Crazy bitch!" She snorted, then looked over at Cliff. "Look at her! She actually had _fun _today, frickin' psycho!" She glared at Allura again, then joined Cliff in laughter. "I just want to fly, dammit! I'll leave the ass-kicking to the rest of you."

She rolled over on the couch and grunted while Cliff and Allura laughed at her.

Cliff couldn't help but tease her. "You are definitely Lance's sister, Darling, that's for sure."

Geni kicked him.

He groaned and grabbed at her, pulling her tightly against him. "Aw, come on, Gorgeous, a cuddle with Cliffie will make it all better." He smiled and gave her a little kiss on the forehead.

"You're lucky that you're cute and I'm in pain." Geni leaned into her man.

Allura looked at them and grinned. She was so happy that they were together - they were made for each other. She referred to them as 'the fun couple' because they always made her laugh with their crazy antics.

She watched as they held each other on the couch, wishing so much that she could have what they had, and knowing that she couldn't. _Coran and Nanny would have a fit__, _she thought to herself. Cliff and Geni, Lisa and Jeff, Sven and Romelle - she envied all of them.

She sighed to herself in defeat, and Cliff took notice.

"So, Dylan, any interesting phone calls lately?" Cliff asked with a smile.

"Hmm, what? Phone calls? Not sure what you mean, Cliff," she replied, avoiding his direct gaze.

Cliff rolled his eyes. _S__hit, are they two peas in a pod or what__? _ "Get off it, MacKenzie, you know exactly what I mean!" He threw a pillow at her.

She whipped the pillow back at him. "No, no I don't!"

"He's referring to your raunchy, double entendre-packed 'conversations' with Keith, isn't that right, Honey?" Geni grinned.

Allura darted her a nasty look.

Cliff laughed. "Oh, come on, Mac! You have no problem telling Liam about it!" he pointed out.

"That's because watching Liam get all pissy is _fun_, Cliff," Allura explained. "Besides, there isn't much to say about Kogane."

"So then, you _don't _like talking to him?" Cliff was still grinning.

"Yeah, talking, _that's _what they do," Geni smirked.

Allura threw her another irritated look. "To answer your question, Cliff," she began, looking away from Geni, "I do enjoy talking to him. We have a lot in common, and that's all I'm going to say on the subject." She sat back in her chair.

Geni let out a laugh.

"Do you like him?" Cliff pressed.

This time, Allura raised a questioning eyebrow. "What does it matter?"

"Well, he's coming here for the Honors Ceremony. After hearing about your conversations, I just thought you'd hook up - maybe you should both put your money where your mouths are." He smiled evilly.

Allura turned a deep shade of red. "_No_, Cliff. I will not be 'hooking up' with anyone. We're just flirting, that's all. It doesn't mean anything." She crossed her arms in front of her.

"Well, maybe not to _you_, Mac, but he may see it differently," Cliff retorted, waiting for her reaction.

Allura squinted her eyes at him. "What do you mean? Has he said something to you?"

"No, no he hasn't. It's just, I know Keith and he isn't a playboy like Lance and me...eh, I mean Lance...just Lance." He corrected himself as Geni smacked him on the shoulder. _"Ow! _Easy, Bluey! I'm a one-woman man now, no worries!"

Allura was too deep in thought to notice the interactions between the happy duo. She glanced up and saw that Cliff was watching her, waiting for a response. "Look, Cliff, it doesn't matter. I'm going back home after the ceremony, so whatever it is that he thinks is going to happen is _not_. I have too much going on to get involved. Besides, I heard that he has a thing for the Princess."

"Oh, is _that _what you've heard? Interesting." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder what the princess would think if she heard one of your little chats, hmm?" He then shrugged. "Oh well, maybe it's better that you two don't hook up. I mean, what would Italo think if his woman ran off with the leader of the Lion Force?"

At those words, Geni perked up. "Cliff, that's _enough_. Dylan doesn't want to talk about it and I don't like what you're insinuating about my _other_ big brother. Keith's not a jerk and you know it!" She punched him in the shoulder. "And shut up about Italo, would you?"

"Relax, Gen. Geez. Kogane is one of my best friends. I know how loyal he is. I just wanted to mess with our unflappable little Dylan here." He winked in Allura's direction. "Dylan, Love, I'm sorry. I can't help that I like to see you get flustered. I'd never say or do anything to intentionally hurt Italo or Keith...and I know _you _wouldn't, either."

Allura relaxed over Keith, but felt a knot in the pit of her stomach over Italo. "You're lucky that I adore you, Cliffie, otherwise I'd make you join the ranks of your fellow Aussie and kick your ass!" She added a wink of her own. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some stuff I need to take care of. See you guys later." She stood up from her chair and relocated to her room, figuring that Cliff and Geni would want some alone time.

She closed the door and flopped down on the bed, turning to look at her phone on the nightstand. Staring down at it, she furrowed her brow.

_Should I? No, I shouldn't. He probably wouldn't answer anyway. _

With a deep sigh, she turned to look up at the ceiling, then folded her arms over her eyes. She felt lonely. Despite the fact that she had no shortage of friends here, she missed her boys and she really missed _him_. After the shower incident, Geni and Cliff spent almost every night together, sometimes forgetting that Allura was in the next room. _Ick__! _

She cringed just thinking about it.

Keith popped into her head again, and she wondered what it would be like to be that intimate with him. She smiled devilishly at the thought of being up close and personal with that mysterious tattoo of his, blushing at the memory of when she had stolen a glimpse of it when she'd accidentally walked in on the boys in the showers. She giggled to herself and then shook her head to clear the un-princess-like thoughts that had entered.

She let out another sigh and looked at her phone once more. _Hmm, I could text him. Of course! It's just a text. It's pretty early there - __the guys are __probably just finishing PT. Good__, he __probably won't even notice. Who cares__, anyway__? It'll make me feel better. _

She sat up in her bed and grabbed her phone to relay the message:

'_At home. Just wanted to say Hi, so Hi ;-)'_

She hit send and fell back onto her bed. She was about to reach for her headphones to listen to some music when she heard the tone indicating an incoming message. Whipping her head around, she grabbed the phone. _No __way__!_

'_Hi yourself__. __Will call you from my room in 5. Make sure u answer vidphn__.__'_

Allura jumped out of her bed and began running around the room, looking at herself in the mirror, playing with her hair and adjusting her clothes. _What the hell is wrong with me? Gee__z__! _

At that moment, the vid-phone rang, and she ran to activate the vid-screen in front of her bed. She took a deep breath to calm herself before answering. Once his image popped up on the screen, she was glad she had.

There was Keith, still in his workout clothes. _My __G__od__,__ is he hot._ She stared at him with glittering eyes until his voice broke her out of her trance.

"Um, Dylan? You OK?"

She shook her head ever so slightly and smiled. "Yeah, sorry, I'm fine. I just didn't expect that you would actually respond so quickly."

"Oh...well, I can go if you want."

She cut him off. _"No! _Um, no, that's fine." She paused as she sat back in her bed. "I'm glad you called, actually."

"Are you in your room?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows at her new seat.

"Gee, what gave it away?" she answered sarcastically, waving her hand over her bed.

He chuckled. "Cute. OK then, _why_ are you in your room?"

Allura grimaced slightly and answered without thinking. "Ugh, because Geni and Cliff are all over each other again, and there's only so much I can take before I vomit profusely. PDA is one thing, but those two take it to a whole new level. I'd say 'get a room', but she has one and chooses _not _to use it."

Then she looked up and saw Keith's expression of complete and utter shock.

_Oh __shit__! What did I just do?_ She covered her mouth with her hands.

Silently, he closed his eyes while shaking his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. For a moment there, I thought you said that Cliff - my friend _Cliff_, Lance's conquest buddy _Cliff _- was 'all over' Geni. As in Lance's little sister _Geni_, my surrogate little sister _Geni. _Of course, I must be mistaken." He shot Allura a pointed glare.

She visibly winced.

"Oh my God! He's dead. I will _kill _him! And he'd better hope that _I _get to him first, 'cuz Lance will _mutilate _him! What the _hell _is he thinking?" Keith was yelling, running his hands through his hair, pacing in front of the desk in his quarters.

_OK, well__,__ this is definitely NOT the conversation I was hoping to have with him. _

Impatiently, she yelled his name. _"Keith!"_

"_What__?__" _he yelled back.

"Sit down and chill out! It's not what you think!"

"_Chill out? _You want me to _chill out_? It's frickin' GENI - how would _you _know what I'm thinking?" He was obviously upset by the idea of Cliff putting the moves on his surrogate little sister.

"He's not playing with her, Keith. He's in love with her - _really_ in love with her - and she's crazy about him, too," she told him gently.

Keith looked at her, somewhat confused. "Are you serious? He's…_in love_ with her?" Caught completely off-guard, he slowly sat back down.

"Yes, he is, very much so - and she is just as in love with him."

He gave her a quizzical look. "How? When? I just…Cliff and _Geni_?" He ran another hand through his hair, waiting for an answer.

She laid back on her bed, propping her head up on her hand. "She had confided in me about her feelings for Cliff right after I moved in. She wouldn't approach him because he was so close to Lance. She thought there was no way he would want her - something about a code? Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "When I saw the two of them together, it was so obvious how he felt about her. I mean, you'd have to be an idiot not to see it."

She paused to look at him. He returned the look with a smirk and a raised brow.

She broke the gaze and continued. "Anyway, after seeing them together, I decided to have a little chat with Cliff."

Keith chuckled. "_You_ had a chat with Cliff?"

She glared at him, a bit annoyed. "Yes, _I_ did. I told him he was being an idiot, that he was lucky to have found love, and if he pushed it aside out of fear of what Lance, or anyone else for that matter, might do, then he didn't deserve her. If Lance loves his sister, which I'm sure he does, then he would want her to be happy. Cliff makes her happy - really happy." She sighed longingly before adding, "Trust me. I know. My bedroom is next to hers."

Keith's eyes went wide at her words. "Oh my God, are you _serious_? Oh, I think I'm about to have a heart attack."

She sat up on her bed and giggled.

"Have you ever heard of TMI? Thanks for that - I _really _appreciate it," he grimaced.

She was giggling hysterically now, and it pulled at his heart. _That giggle is so unmistakably Allura. She__'s got to __know that I've figured it out__._

He couldn't help but flash her a bright smile.

She stopped laughing, but kept the smile on her face. "Keith, please don't say anything. They want to tell Lance themselves, in their own time. I swear, I didn't mean to blurt it out. You just caught me in a moment, that's all." She looked down at her hands.

He knew what she was thinking, and it broke his heart. He, too, wanted to be with her so badly. "Is that why you texted me? You needed to talk?"

"I don't know. I guess. I'm just..._ugh!"_ Frustrated, she fell back on her bed and hid her face behind her pillow.

"Um, Dylan?"

Her voice was muffled behind the pillow. "You must think I'm so pathetic," she squeaked, barely audible.

"Dylan, that's ridiculous! Get that pillow off your head and look at me!" he commanded.

Allura slowly lifted the corner of the pillow to look at him. He watched and laughed. With a deep breath, she then threw the pillow to the side and sat up.

"First of all, I would never consider a young woman who has shattered as many records as you have at the Academy pathetic just because she may need to talk to someone, even if it may seem to be trivial. If it's important to you, then it is significant. Please don't ever apologize for contacting me. I am more than happy to help, if I can." He grimaced. "As far as Geni and Cliff are concerned, don't worry, my lips are sealed. You're right - Lance will have to just deal with it, especially if they are as in love as you say they are." He shot her a warm smile that made her body tingle all over.

She returned the gesture. "Thanks, Keith. I appreciate it."

"Any time. Now, as far as your _other _problem is concerned, might I suggest investing in a music player and some really good headphones." He winked and laughed at her expression.

She laughed along with him. "I'm one step ahead of you, Kogane." She pointed to her music player on the nightstand, coincidentally being the one _he _had sent her - not that he would have been able to tell from the vid-screen. "As a matter of fact, I think I may have incurred some permanent damage to my hearing thanks to the volume I've had it on over the last two weeks."

Now they were both _really _laughing. He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation with the Princess. They were so comfortable with each other, not having to worry about anyone walking in or what Nanny and Coran would say or do..._especially _Nanny. They could simply be themselves.

With that, he sighed and gazed at her tenderly. "I really hate to cut this short, but I still have to get the guys out for Lion practice, and I haven't even showered yet. Gross." He was incredibly disappointed that he had to go.

She shrugged. "No problem, Keith. Besides, I need to rest up. We're working on Phases One and Two of the ground ops competition this week."

"Ouch, that's a tough one. Not as bad as Phase Three, but tough nonetheless." He nodded in understanding.

She giggled again. "Oh, I'm not worried about the training. It's Geni's whining that is exhausting!" she smirked.

He chuckled back. "Well, she _is _her brother's sister."

"That she is, no doubt."

He looked at her, not wanting the conversation to end, but knowing it had to. He smiled instead. "Good night, _Dylan, _and good luck tomorrow. If you need anything, just ask."

"Will do, Captain." She winked at him before terminating the call.

Once the screen had gone dark, she fell back onto her bed, grabbing her pillow and hugging it tightly. She took her music player, put on her headphones, and began to listen to the music he had selected especially for her. She had been pleased to discover that there were two more playlists containing a variety of songs which he had carefully chosen and that she had not originally noticed; song choices which made her heart long for him even more.

She turned to her side, and a few tears slid down her cheeks. _Those looks, that smile, those words. They weren't for me, they were for __Dylan__. _

Her heart broke at the thought.

She wiped the tears away, knowing that she had to go through with her plan for Liam's second-in-command. _I'm in love with Keith. I always have been, and I always will be. Even if he's in love with Dylan now, it's not fair for me to string Italo along...because __Italo__ might be in love with Dylan, too. _Trying to push the pain away, she listened to the songs that wereindeed for her - from Keith to Allura.


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello everyone! This chapter is brought to you by the magnificent KathDMD...GMN has returned...full force! Thank you to all who continue to read/follow/review xoxoxo_

_Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters..._

* * *

_**"Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine"**_

_**Chapter 14 'Acquerello'**_

_On Allura: Martha Bodycon Dress by TFNC (Topshop); Jimmy Choo Rocks Ankle-Wrap Open-Toe Sandal (Bergdorf Goodman); Alexis Bittar Elongated Cluster Ring (Saks Fifth Avenue)_

_xxxxx_

"MacKenzie! Italo's gonna be here any second! Hurry up and get your ass outta the bedroom, would you?"

At Geni's words, Allura gave herself a final once-over in her bedroom mirror. Narcissism did not become her, but she believed she looked gorgeous. The blue knee-length dress skimmed her body, showing off her figure, while the lace paneling and the large keyhole in the back ensured that plenty of skin was on display. The black-and-gold open-toed strappy sandals wrapped around her ankles, showcasing her new blood-red pedicure and elongating her muscular calves. And on the middle finger of her right hand, she'd slipped a costumey bauble of midnight-blue Swarovski crystals atop a silver triple band.

Her make-up was spare, just a thin strip of black eyeliner and a swipe of mascara to go along with her glossy pink lips. And her black hair, which she would normally wear long and straight, was pulled into a sleek ponytail, which she slung over her shoulder. It seemed a crime to cover up the stunning details on the back of her dress.

Yes, she looked amazing.

_I know this is what I want. I want to look good for Italo before Iet him down. But really, should I look this good? I don't want to give him the wrong idea._

"DYLAN! Cliff and I wanna give our approval before you go out on your date. So once again, get your sweet ass out here!"

"Geez, Geni, keep your panties on! I'm on my way." Allura spritzed herself with perfume - Thank God that St. Jimmy makes a fragrance as great as his shoes - and then waltzed out of the bedroom, ready to be judged by her roommate and her boyfriend.

Geni happened to be in the kitchen, pouring another glass of pinot noir for herself and her boyfriend, when Allura made her grand appearance. Cliff, on the other hand, was lounging on the living room couch. "By the gods, MacKenzie," he choked, his eyes bugging out of his head. "You look positively stunning."

"Hmph. You've never said anything that nice to me, and I'm your girlfriend." Geni emerged from kitchen, a full wineglass in each hand. As she fully took Allura's image in, she gasped. "Oh, holy hells, Girl. You can't wear that out on your date - it's too hot. Get back in your room and change!"

"Oh my God, Gen, there's no time for me to get changed." Allura crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. The stones in her cocktail ring twinkled beneath the dim lighting. "You just said it yourself, Italo's gonna be here any minute."

Cliff raised an eyebrow. "And if he's half the hot-blooded male that his Captain Lochlan is, Dylan, he'll take one look at you in that dress and forget about those dinner reservations. He'll find a hotel room and -"

"And do what exactly, Captain Jack?" Allura narrowed her eyes. "He'll do to me what you do to my roommate?"

Geni spat a mouthful of pinot noir all over the living room.

"Ew, gross, Geni." Allura made a face.

Cliff made a similar face. "You'd better clean that up before the stain sets in, Love."

Geni threw her hands up in the air and headed back into the kitchen to get cleaning supplies, grumbling the whole way. As she returned with paper towels and spray cleaner, the doorbell rang, and she locked her eyes on Allura's.

No one moved for a moment. They all seemed frozen in position until the doorbell rang again.

"Crikey, girls, isn't somebody going to answer the door?" Cliff asked, irritated.

Allura shook her head. "You answer it, Cliff."

"Me? I don't even live here!"

He looked over at Geni helplessly, who shook her head no and lifted her hands up, laden with cleaning supplies. "Don't look at me, Hon," she retorted. "I'm busy cleaning."

"Oh, for Pete's sake…you two are worthless!" Allura stomped off to the door to answer the bell, trying to contain her annoyance. "Sorry, Tony," she greeted her guest before she even opened the door, "these two are hopeless."

The first thing she saw was a bouquet. Italo had pulled out all the stops tonight, bestowing upon his date a dozen hand-tied pink roses in full bloom. "It's nice to see you too, Dylan," he teased, gently placing the flowers in her arms. "These are for you."

Her azure eyes widened as she stepped aside to let her date into the apartment. "Oh, Tony, these are absolutely beautiful. Here, let me put them in water." She stepped over Geni, still on her knees mopping up the wine, to get to the kitchen.

Geni stuck her tongue out in disgust and flipped her the bird, but said nothing.

"So...Luciano," Cliff stumbled over his tongue, "it's nice to see you. How are you this evening?"

Italo sat down on a chair across from the sofa. He looked positively scrumptious dressed in a charcoal-grey suit with black pinstripes, a white button-down shirt, and a black-and-silver tie. His dark hair had been neatly cropped and styled with gel, and his dark-brown eyes twinkled as if he knew a secret. "I'm doing great, Jack," he replied cheerfully. "How could I not be? I'm taking the beautiful Lieutenant MacKenzie out for dinner."

_Oh boy_. Cliff swallowed, hoping that the girls would come to his rescue.

Allura emerged from the kitchen, standing in front of her date and extending her arm. "Ready?"

He winked. "For you, Gorgeous? Always." He stood up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, then leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips. "Come on, let's get out of here. We might have reservations, but they won't wait forever."

As they left the apartment, Geni and Cliff shot an uncomfortable look at each other, but said nothing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith had a terrible feeling in his gut. He wasn't sure why - everything had gone smoothly that day, from lion practice to workouts to meetings to dinner - and everyone had gone to bed ages ago. But he was still awake.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ he asked himself.

He could have tried to hash out the obvious, but really, he knew why he was agitated. He hadn't heard from Allura all day. The idea that not hearing from a woman could drive him to drink would have sounded preposterous to him before the princess had left for Earth. Now, though, he could easily find himself obsessing over her.

_You're in love with her, you asshole. You know it, and you refuse to admit it._

He was. He was in love with Allura. He just didn't know how they would ever be able to sustain a relationship.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura felt very, very guilty as she enjoyed her dinner at Acquerello. The dimly-lit, romantic Italian restaurant was everything she thought it might be...and more. And better. The food, while supremely expensive, was divine. Italo had opted for the Prix Fixe menu.- all five courses! - and an accompanying bottle of wine. In between tasting delicacies she'd never have on Arus, such as wild Rhode Island fluke with Osetra caviar and risotto with Parmesan cheese and shaved white truffles, and sipping Italian white varietal wine from the province of Piemonte, she knew she had to keep her head screwed on tight.

Well, her head and her panties, of course.

_Of course you feel guilty, you fool!_ Allura chided herself. _Here you are at this amazing restaurant with this astoundingly gorgeous man. Said astoundingly gorgeous man is dropping big bucks on you, obviously wining and dining you to get into your panties, and you're about to say no - and not because of him, because of Keith._

If it weren't for Keith, she would probably very willingly allow Italo to get into her panties, much to the chagrin of Nanny and Coran...though she was fairly certain that Lance would be cheering her on.

Looking across the table, she watched as her date tasted his dessert. She couldn't believe that they were already on their fifth course. Where had the time gone? Her flourless chocolate cake, adorned with eucalyptus cream, compressed blueberries and black licorice gelato, sat nearly untouched in front of her. Italo had done a bit better, taking two bites out of his crème fraîche mousse, but he left the chocolate-candied orange gelato on the plate.

They'd made small talk all throughout dinner. It was pleasant enough, but Allura was wrought with anxiety. She knew that Italo was saving the big question for afterwards, and she was dreading it. What was she going to tell him? _Sorry, Tony, but I'm not exactly who you think I am. I made up Dylan MacKenzie and her backstory. I'm really Princess Allura Altaire of Planet Arus, and I can't be interested in you because I'm in love with Keith Kogane. _Yeah, that didn't sound too convincing.

As Italo paid for the bill in cash, she dropped her eyes to her hands. Her toes might have been painted blood red, but her fingernails had been painted a sheer, almost-white opalescent pink. She focused on that detail as he cleared his throat.

"I hope you enjoyed dinner, Dylan."

She looked up. "I did, thank you." She rose to her feet. "The food was insanely delicious. I can't remember the last time I dined that well."

Standing with her, he planted a small kiss on her temple. "I'm glad," he offered sincerely, shooting her a playful grin. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he murmured, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Panic began to rise in the pit of her stomach. "Where do you want to go?"

"Let's just walk. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is about a mile away from here." He shot her that playful grin again. "Do you think your feet can handle it in your heels?"

She swatted at him. "I'll take that challenge."

They headed out into the clear evening, and he held her hand as she walked. By now, her entire body was on fire with trepidation and dread. She was overwhelmingly anxious about their inevitable conversation. He, on the other hand, looked cool and unfettered in his suit, whistling along to a tune in his head.

Once they'd made considerable headway to the museum, he cleared his throat. "Dylan," he began, "I can't tell you what an amazing time I'm having with you. And that fact that you picked me over Lochlan...well, let's just say that nowhere in the history of the universe has a woman turned down Liam for me." He kissed her cheek again, hovering plenty close to her lips. "You could really make a man fall for you."

_Ugh. Here it comes_. Allura took a small step away from him, just enough to break the contact of their bodies.

He didn't seem to notice. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," he continued, his voice turning thick with excitement. "I know we've only been seeing each other for a short time, and we're not serious - yet - but I have a proposition for you."

_Oh God_. She took a step back, putting even more distance between them. "Oh, Tony..."

"Listen. You know that once Spring Break is over, the Infinity is taking off again. I've spoken with Lochlan, and the both of us agreed that you'd make an excellent addition to our ship. We'd like to recommend to Admiral Graham that you join our crew after the Honors Ceremony."

Allura raised her eyebrows in shock. "You guys did what?!"

"Even Liam agreed that you're the best in your division, Dylan. Hell, you're one of the best, period. You'd be amazing on the Infinity...and," he added slyly, "you and I could be together."

She felt like she'd been slapped across the face and had the wind knocked out of her. "It's a nice idea, Tony, but I'm a lifer with the Panthers. I can't leave them. They need me, and I need them just as much."

Their walk to the museum halted. "They're just the Panthers," he scoffed. "Trust me, I know that the Black Panthers seem like a big deal now. But unless you're somebody like Keith Kogane and his crew, getting picked for that top-secret mission to Arus that turned out to be the resurrection of Voltron, the Panthers mean nothing in the long run."

She wasn't sure if it was the belittling of her team or the mention of Keith's name, but Allura felt her blood begin to boil. "Tony, it's really sweet that you like me and you've thought this out, but I'm not ready to abandon the Panthers just yet. I'm not taking post aboard the Infinity."

Italo looked shocked that she had refused his offer. "Come on, Dylan, you can't be serious," he countered, his lips curling into a frown. "I thought you'd be happy about the idea. I mean, we could really give our relationship a shot. And who knows? We might decide to go to the next level, to get married and have kids and -"

"Whoa." Allura held her finger up to his lips to shush him. "You're getting way too ahead of yourself, Tony. I mean, whoever said I even wanted to be in a serious relationship?" She shook her head. "My career comes first. You know this."

Italo looked crushed. "Come on, Dylan."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm serious. My answer is no. I'm not leaving the Panthers. Not now."

His mouth dropped open in surprise. He seemed unable to get any words out.

"Look, Tony, I'm sorry this isn't gonna go the way you planned it. I really am. But it's better that you know this now." Gently, she kissed both sides of his face. "I'm really sorry, Tony. I mean it."

He blew out a lengthy exhale. "Me too."

She moved closer to the street. "I'm gonna cab it home. You get home safely yourself, OK?"

"Do you want me to drive you home?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll get home myself. Good-bye, Tony." Then she turned away from him and flagged down a taxi to take her home. She didn't look back. She was too afraid to see the heartbroken look on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

_Good Morning everyone! I apologize as I am sending this from work so have not included my usual Reviewer responses...so sorry! Will be back on track next week! (Those who know me know that I have been working an insane amount of hours lately...so kinda overwhelmed...) THANK YOU to all who left reviews on last chapter and to all those who continue to read/follow/review/PM..._

_JustLucky05, Cubbie and Chris, KathDMD...thanks so much!_

_Disclaimer: I do not oen or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OC belong to me..._

* * *

**"Give Me Novocaine" **

**Chapter 15**

"Damn it, Carter!" Allura shrieked as she pulled her teammate up from the ground. "This isn't the time to act all macho! I gave you a direct order - what the hell were you thinking?" Her words drew the attention of Geni, Mitchel, and Perry, who rushed over to see if they could help.

"I was thinking you were outnumbered and needed my help," he snorted, dusting himself off.

"Yeah, and a lot of help you were, lying flat on your ass!" Geni huffed.

Carter shot her a dirty look.

"They're called 'orders' for a reason, Carter." Geni crossed her arms in front of her chest. The expression on her face was possibly harsher than their commander's.

"Like you should talk, McClain!" Carter snapped back at her, looking as though he was about to take her down.

Allura stepped in between the both of them. _ "Enough!"_ she bellowed, pulling off her best impression of Keith.

They both froze and looked at her.

Icily, she turned back to 2nd Lieutenant Carter. "Jason, there is a reason I was given command of this team. I can assure you that I can handle myself just fine." She paused, noticing as Carter looked behind them at the five 'enemies' lying flat on their backs.

"_Obviously__,__" _he smirked.

She grinned back at him. "What I need is for my team to stick together and support each other. This starts with following the orders I give you."

Jason looked away sheepishly.

"Jason, I know you boys have this honor thing going on. Although I'm flattered that you would risk your life for me, I cannot let you risk the lives of your teammates. When we work together, we are a well-oiled machine. You are a major asset and I know how to use you. You need to trust that I know what I'm doing or else we won't succeed." She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

He looked at his commander and smiled. Truth be told, he found her to be quite amazing and knew damn well that she could take them all on; however, he just couldn't help himself from his chivalrous instincts.

He rolled his eyes before smiling again. "OK, OK, I'll cut the macho out. I swear, I'll only follow orders from this point on - _promise." _He saluted.

She nodded and turned to the rest of her team. "Perry and Mitchel, you need to make it to the rendezvous point faster, you were off mark by twenty-two seconds. Think of increasing your start position." She turned away from them and focused on her next target. "McClain, you need to tighten up and focus on the plan, not on what everyone else is doing. We each have to stay focused on our individual orders to minimize the amount of screw-ups. You were too far back. Had Carter stuck to the plan, you would not have made it in time."

Geni opened her mouth to say something, but the words died on her tongue when she caught Allura's eye. She saluted instead. "Yes, Lieutenant. Won't happen again."

As Allura nodded her head, she noticed Jeff approaching out of the corner of her eye. She turned to salute him, and he returned the gesture.

"Well, well, kids. It looks like the only two who would have made it to Phase Two are MacKenzie and McClain." Jeff paused as he noticed Geni's smirk. "I wouldn't be patting yourself on the back if I were you, McClain. The only reason you would have made it through _this _time was because of Carter's error in judgment...and the fact that your Panther commander here knocked out the five combatants that were left. Had everything gone as planned, you were so off that you would have been taken down instantly."

Geni briefly glanced down, then looked at him in the eyes. "Understood, Commander," she saluted.

Jeff then looked at Allura, a grin plastered to his face. _ Man, Keith would've shit if he saw this! He should be here__,__ damn it! _ "MacKenzie, I don't know who trained you, but whoever they are, they did a fine job. Keep this up and you're going to tear those rankings to shreds."

"Thank you, Sir." She saluted proudly.

"Alright. You are all dismissed. For the next two days we'll work on Phase Two, and next week will be all Phase Three. God knows you're going to need it!"

Geni dropped to the ground and groaned as the rest of the team laughed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back on Arus, Keith was not himself.

He hadn't spoken to Allura in two days. Not that he was worried of course; he was simply curious to see how training was going.

_Oh, __who am I kidding? _

He actually _was _concerned at the sadness he saw in her face that last time they'd spoken. At that moment, he could tell that she felt alone. He sensed that she wished he was there with her, and boy, did he want to be!

_Two more weeks__...__just hold out two more weeks__,_ he tried to convince himself. _But t__hen what? Come back to Arus __and go back to the way __we were before? Can't do it!_ He ran the proverbial hand through his hair.

He had been toying with ideas as to how to proceed with their relationship. What would become of them? Would he go to Earth and insist that they take advantage of the one night they would have alone together? _No way. I'm not __that__ much of an asshole. _

Would he go and just be her friend? No, _t__hat _was definitely not an option. He missed her too much, he loved her too much. No. They could most definitely _not_ be friends and friends alone.

But, if they somehow managed to make their relationship official, how would they continue it once they returned? How would they be able to have any time alone under Nanny's scrutiny? _Impossible, __it's __impossible__. _He sighed to himself.

He was so deep in thought that he ran right into Hunk.

"Geez, Hunk! Sorry, I didn't see you." Keith rubbed his head, embarrassed.

Hunk laughed. "Dude, you must _really _be out of it if you didn't see _me_ coming. I _am _a little hard to miss, you know."

Keith looked exasperated, but said nothing.

"What is it, Chief? Missing our little royal cutie?" Hunk couldn't pass up the chance to rib him.

"_What?" _Keith cried out in confusion.

"Hey, it's OK. Dude, we _all _miss her. It's just not the same without her here. Not much to smile at, you know? Princess, she's just so sweet. Knows how to make ya smile. Now all we have to look at is Nanny and Lance's ugly mug." He cringed at the last thought.

Keith looked at his friend and smiled. "Yeah, I guess it _is _pretty quiet around here."

"Ha! _You_ must be losing it, Chief! You've had no one to press your buttons for like two months! Withdrawal…that's why you didn't see me coming." He laughed, and Keith smiled at his assessment. "You know, I can bet she really misses you too."

Keith looked at him, expressionless. "And what would give you _that_ idea?" he asked with a raised brow.

Hunk rubbed the back of his head. "Aw, come on, Chief. We all know she has a little crush on you - she always looks at you all googly-eyed when she thinks no one's looking." He made little gestures with the fingers on his hands and pretending to look all 'dreamy'.

"Oh, is _that _what you call going out of the way to drive me crazy? A _crush_?" Keith acted as though he was unaware.

Hunk laughed. "Yeah, dude! Remember that show where the two coworkers were crazy about each other but neither one said anything, so they went around fighting all the time and slappin' each other, then in one episode they had this super fired-up argument and ended up makin' out? It was _hysterical_, man!" He laughed at the memory.

Keith looked at him, confused.

"Come on, admit it, you've got a little crush on her too," Hunk teased.

Keith shot him a dirty look. "I do _not _have a crush on Princess Allura."

"Sure you do! Ha! One day we'll all walk in on her slapping you, then you slapping her back, and then you'll be all over each other! Nanny and Coran would have a heart attack!" Hunk roared, laughing hysterically.

Once he had calmed down, Keith looked at him. "You done?"

Hunk nodded, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Won't happen," Keith informed him in his I-mean-business monotone.

Hunk looked confused. "Why the hell not?"

"Because I would _never _slap the Princess."

Hunk chuckled and gave his commander a devilish grin. "I bet you would _kiss _her, though."

Keith gave him a small grin.

"It's all good, buddy. We all know what a stickler you are for protocol." Hunk winked. "Anyway, I better get going and finish up all that work you have me doing. Don't wanna miss lunch!"

"Goodbye, Hunk," Keith grunted as he shook his head. He heard the Yellow Lion pilot laugh his way down the hall.

XXXXXXXXXX

After lunch, Keith headed back to his office to get some paperwork done before Lion practice. Hunk and Pidge had some upgrades to install so, he moved practice to later in the afternoon. Given their little break from Doom, they gave Sven a week's leave to go back to Pollux and spend time with a very irritated Romelle. Their wedding was only a few months away, and she had been doing all of the planning without him...not that he minded. Even though he knew that Romelle would drive him crazy with the wedding plans, he really missed her and wanted to spend some time with her. He would return to Arus in three more days.

With both Sven's absence and Hunk and Pidge working on upgrades, Keith was not surprised to find Lance in his office, snoring on his couch.

The Black Lion pilot threw a wadded piece of paper at his second-in-command, and Lance jerked awake. "Hey, what the hell, Keith! I was in the middle of an _awesome _dream!"

Keith rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

"Want to hear it? It involves the Princess in some kinky situations." He smiled devilishly and waggled his eyebrows up and down.

Keith spun around and gave him a nasty look. "Lance, if I throw a stick, will you leave?"

The Red Lion pilot laughed at him.

Keith made his way around his desk and sat down. Lance took a seat in front of him, which only annoyed Keith more. _So much for getting work done._

"What's the matter, oh Valiant One? Haven't had phone sex in a few days?" Lance smirked as he immediately raised his hands to cover his face from whatever Keith would find to throw at him. This time, it was just a note pad.

"You know, Lance, why is it that whenever I see you, I am overwhelmed by the need to be alone?" Keith barked.

Lance laughed. "Oh, come on Keith, you would hate it if I went away. Admit it, I bring up your street cred."

The Voltron captain leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Oh, I get it. You're still dreaming."

The Red Lion pilot was about to retort, but their banter was cut off by an incoming call on the vid-phone. Lance looked at Keith with a sideways grin. "Is that little Miss It's-getting-hot-in-here?"

Keith threw a book at him. "It's _Jeff_, you idiot."

"COOL!" Lance jumped out of his chair and came around to Keith's side of the desk so he could see Jeff as well.

Jeff's face filled the screen. "Hey Keith! I'm glad I caught you!"

"Hey, Jeff. If you need me to get rid of Lance, I'd be _more _than happy to find something for him to do." Keith darted a poisonous glance in Lance's direction.

Lance rolled his eyes.

"No, actually, I'm glad Lance is there too…shit, I can't believe I just said that!" Jeff chuckled.

"Don't worry, Aki, I won't get used to it." Lance scrunched up his face.

Keith shook off their banter. "What's up, man?"

"It's about the competition. I really think you guys need to come out here -"

Jeff was interrupted by Keith. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Is Allura alright?"

"No, no, nothing like that! Quite the contrary, actually."

"Why do Keith and I need to be out there, Jeff?" Lance prodded.

"Because this competition is going to be big-time intense. You owe it to your sister and Allura to be here to witness it - hell, you should be here _now_! You guys would freak out at what those two can do. It's _sick_!"

"That good, eh? Well, her last name _is _McClain." Lance grinned proudly.

Keith and Jeff rolled their eyes. "Yeah, which is why she doesn't follow orders," the Air Team captain retorted.

Lance waved him off. "Whatever, dude."

Jeff shook his head. "It's all good, though, Allura kicks the shit out of her. Keeps her in line. My prediction is that Geni and Allura will both get to Phase Two. Geni might make it through and actually hit Phase Three, that depends, but Allura? She'll be in Three for sure - probably solo."

Keith and Lance both looked amazed. "You think the _Princess_ will make it to Phase Three? No way!_ I_ didn't make it to Phase Three!" Lance spat as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Keith turned to look at Lance. "Your point?"

"Oh, shut up, you cocky Number-One asshole!"

Jeff laughed. "Not only do I predict that she'll make it to Phase Three, I also predict that she has a good chance of completing it. She is one determined bitch when she wants to be - no offense, of course!"

Keith grinned. "None taken, Jeff. Trust me, we know how she can be when she wants to get her point across." He paused to think for a moment, then looked back up at the screen. "They have _that _good of a chance, huh?"

"Kogane, both of them are going to break the Top Five for sure - no doubt in my mind. They have worked so hard and it would be such a shame for you guys not to be here to witness it firsthand. Hell, I think the whole Force should be here to cheer Allura on, but I know that's not possible. Being that you two are as close as you are," he paused, noticing Keith's raised brow, "and that Geni is Lance's sister, the least you two could do is come out here. Look, you were coming that weekend anyway, what's a few more days?"

Lance sighed heavily while Keith ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that easy, Jeff," the captain reminded his old roommate. "You're talking a week here. I'm not comfortable with the two of us leaving Arus for that long. Besides, I highly doubt Coran would go along with it."

"Come on, Keith, at least try. Why don't you talk to Graham? The guy worships you like the son he never had. Just tell him you know what's been going on and that you want to be there. Maybe he can send out a fleet to cover while you two are gone, just in case." Jeff was practically pleading.

Lance chuckled. "You think the Garrison is going to approve sending an Alliance fleet out here just so Keith and I can take a week's vacation? You've lost it, man."

Jeff ignored Lance and glared at Keith. "Come on, man. Just ask. What will it hurt? Don't you want to be here to see it? I don't know what the Princess does out there, but let me tell you, she has paid attention to every last thing you guys have taught her, and then some. You guys deserve to be here. Can you imagine how happy she'd be after she found out that you guys were here to witness her achieve this, knowing that you two were here to cheer her on…after everything that she has been through in her life?"

"You _suck_, Aki!" Keith cried out.

"Yeah, that's a low blow, man, playing on our heartstrings like that. Geni is my little sister and I love her, but you know what the Princess means to all of us. Keith's right - you _suck_!" Lance pouted.

"Well, did it work?" Jeff laughed.

Keith and Lance both darted him a disgruntled expression, and then Keith sighed. "There is nothing we would want more than to be there, Jeff, and you know that. Although I already know what he's going to say, I'll talk to Graham and see what I can do. Maybe I can even get him to butter up Coran. Hell, if he pulls the same deal with Coran that you pulled on us, Coran will be begging us to go."

Lance rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, you know what? That might actually work. Coran would be devastated that no one would be there to show support for _Her Royal Highness._ Shit, knowing him, he'd make us go in full-on Formals."

At that comment, all three men grimaced. Even though Keith did secretly enjoy wearing it on occasion, watching the competition in his military dress uniform would not be his idea of a fun time.

"I'll contact Graham tomorrow and have a little chat with him," Keith promised. "We'll see what happens. No guarantees, Jeff."

"It's all good, Keith. Just keep me posted."

After saying their goodbyes, the connection was terminated. Lance walked back to the other side of the desk and took the seat in front of Keith once more. "You think he'll go for it?" he asked.

Keith leaned forward and crossed his hands on his desk. "You know, if I phrase it the right way, he just might. I just need to focus on the fact that he knew about this whole Dylan thing and didn't tell me...making sure not to overstep my boundaries, of course." Keith smirked.

"Of course." Lance smirked back. "You know, this could be a really good thing, any way you look at it." He paused as Keith looked at him quizzically. "Not only will we be there to support Allura and Geni, but you and the Princess can actually spend a whole week together, just the two of you, being a normal couple. No Nanny. No Coran. Just you and her. How awesome would _that_ be?"

Keith smiled at his longtime friend and brother. "It would be more than awesome, Lance, it would be a miracle…it would be…perfect, absolutely…_perfect."_ He leaned back in his chair, wrapping his hands behind his head. The thought of being able to spend time with Allura as a real couple was more than he could hope for - even if it _was _only for a week.

As quickly as he was swept up in his little day-dream, that was how quickly Commander Mode kicked in. He suddenly stiffened and looked up at Lance.

_Here we go… _Lance thought as he let out a deep sigh, knowing what was about to come out of Keith's mouth.

"What the hell is the matter with me? This isn't going to happen. Arus comes first and I will not risk Arus being vulnerable without us here."

Of course Lance rolled his eyes. "You are nothing if not predictable, really."

Keith attempted to reply, but Lance cut him off. "Seriously, Keith, you've gotta stop this. You know damn well that there is no way Lotor will be able to attack so soon after the damage we gave him last time. Even if he does, he will not have the type of forces that would require us to use Voltron. You know better than anyone that it takes Haggar time to create those robeasts. The guys along with some Alliance backup should be able to handle it, no problem."

"What if they can't? What happens then? We'll be too far out to help and Arus will be screwed." Keith's lips straightened into a firm line.

"You know that's not gonna happen! You're just looking for excuses, as usual. God forbid the oh-so-noble Commander Kogane actually takes a break! The world may come to an end! Gee, and they say that _I _am the cocky one!" Lance snorted.

"Shut up, Lance! You know that's not the case!"

"Stop putting the weight of the world on your shoulders! It's not your job to be responsible for everything!"

Keith quickly retorted, "Yes, actually, it _is _my job! Are you forgetting that I'm in command of the Force and Arus' defense? What kind of commander would I be if I left Arus without the ability to form Voltron?"

Lance sat back in his chair and threw his friend a sneaky smirk. _"Really? _Gee, I don't know. Hmm, let's see…Allura is on Earth, and Sven, who is covering for her at the moment, is on Pollux 'til the end of the week. Can't really form Voltron _now_, can we?"

Keith threw him a dirty look.

"Or maybe you just don't trust your team to do the job right without you," Lance instigated.

The Voltron captain was pissed. "Of _course _I do! I trust all of you with my life, you know that!"

"Then _prove _it! Talk to Graham. Let's go to Earth for the competition. Come on, Keith! We both deserve this..._u__nless_ there's another reason why you're too chicken to go."

Keith raised his brow. _"Chicken?_ Why the hell would I be afraid to go to Earth, McClain?"

"Oh, I don't know…taking the next step with a certain blond comes to mind."

"You're out of your damn mind."

'Oh, I don't think so. You're still intimidated by her frickin' title, aren't you? It's like you have title-phobia," Lance instigated.

"Lay off, Lance," Keith warned. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell I don't! That's the whole reason you're going along with this Dylan thing, remember? You're gonna do it, you're gonna fuck this up!"

"Go to _hell_, Lance!"

"You're going to lose her because of your dumbass sense of honor, I hope you know that," the Red Lion pilot assured him, despite the fire spitting out of Keith's eyes. "Dude, you're my brother, you know that. You're being really stupid. We've all said it. Princess doesn't give a shit about titles and neither do the people of Arus, or even Coran for that matter. You know they worship you and hang on your every word!" He paused to catch his breath. "You told Sven and me that you can't be without her, so what gives? You go to Earth, tell her that you can't live without her, and that's that - spend the week having fun."

Keith gave him a blank look. "You've got it all figured out, don't you?"

Lance shrugged a 'yes'.

"OK, brainiac, what happens when we come back to Arus? I don't give a damn what you or Allura say, we cannot be out in the open about 'us' right now. Nanny and Coran will make our lives a living hell with all their 'proper courting ritual' and 'royal announcement' bull - and then there's Lotor."

"Geez, man, are you a frickin' broken record or what?" Lance shot back, exasperated.

"_Well?" _Keith challenged.

Lance grunted. "Who said anything about being out in the open? No one needs to know. It's none of their damn business. Just sneak around. All that matters is the two of you, screw everyone else."

Keith gave a sarcastic laugh. "You think we can just sneak around and no one will notice?"

"Why not? It's worked for me. You may all know that I have escapades simply because I tell you about them, but have any of you ever actually _seen _me?"

Keith looked at him as if not quite sure if he was pissed or curious as to how he managed to avoid detection.

Lance laughed at his friend's expression. "I've even done it while you've been on watch - _HA!"_

"_Lance!"_ Keith huffed. "You're not under the scrutiny Princess is under."

"Oh, whatever!" Lance snorted as he looked up at the ceiling, thoroughly annoyed. "The bottom line is, _Commander, _that I know all the ins and outs of this castle, at least in regard to hiding my…um…_affairs."_ He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Keith closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't be a fool, man. I'll help you, I promise! You'll see…it'll work out great! Come on, stop being such a pooper. Call Graham."

Keith walked back over to his desk and fell back into his chair. He looked up at Lance, nodding in defeat.

Lance responded with his infamous cocky grin.

Keith looked down in thought. _Oh __G__od, what the hell has he gotten me into?_


End file.
